Brave New World
by Moon Fox
Summary: 1500 years since Camlann, Merlin realizes he might not be the only survivor from Camelot when Gwaine's unexpected past and future come to light.
1. Part 1: Prologue

**Title: Brave New World**

**Category:** Gen (AU Modern)

**Rating:** T for language

**Multi-Fandoms**: Merlin, Stargate , Doctor Who Universe (Knowledge of Merlin is a must. The others are helpful to know, but not necessary, many have commented how they are enjoying this without knowing either Stargate or Doctor Who.)

**Summary: **Nearly 1500 years after Camlann, Merlin has his extraordinarily long life together and has almost forgotten the past...though he still waits for the prophecy.

Gwaine was never honest with anyone about his past before Camelot, with good reason...he was from the future.

This is not your typical reincarnation/modern AU fic.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the fandoms, only the rabid plot skwerls running loose in my head that created this story. (Applies to all chapters)

HUGE thanks to **IcarusLSU** for being my idea trampoline, especially with this story. Also to** Nance** for beta reading for me, you are the puffin goddess of proofing.

Each Part is basically an episode in this extraordinary, and out-of-this-world version of Season 6.

Part 2: s/9567797/9/Brave-New-World **_Gathering of the Gods_**

Part 3: s/9567797/23/Brave-New-World _** Keys of Fate**_

* * *

_"Dying Swans twisted wings_

_Beauty not needed here_

_Lost my love, lost my life_

_In this garden of fear_

_I have seen many things_

_In a lifetime alone_

_Mother love is no more_

_Bring this savage back home..."_

_Lyrics from 'Brave New World' by Iron Maide_n

**Prologue:**

_Pain. Agony. Secrets revealed. His own heart pounding in his ears. His screams resonated through the forest. His last coherent thought, as he watched Morgana saunter to her horse, was that he had failed._

(*~*~*~*)

Captain Gwaine Dallon, USMC*, stood at the bottom of the ramp and marveled at his life. One would think he'd be used to wormholes by now, after nearly a year and a half of constant travel. For the most part he was, but each trip sent a thrill of nervous energy through him. Of course, he was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so that always helped. One last check of his gear and he followed his team leader through the gate.

The mission was rather boring. He stood facing the shimmering event horizon that would take them home, he felt a wave of nausea. Shaking it off, he was the last member of the team to step through. Typically, the ride was smoother than a roller coaster. The cold of deep space, as his scattered atoms sped through the wormhole, created a chill that was not completely unwelcome. It heightened the joy of the ride. This time, as his consciousness watched the stars fly past, he felt something was off. A bright flash of light ahead of him shook the normal feeling of the ride, and as he stumbled out the other side, all he could think was that he was so screwed.

"What the hell?" He asked to himself, as he looked around the cavern. This certainly was not the gate room at the SGC,* or for that matter, any other gate he had visited during his tenure at the Cheyenne Mountain Military Complex.

That day was just the start of his adventures. He spent nearly two weeks close to the cave before doing some actual recon, and found himself assaulted by a group of bandits that appeared to be from the dark ages. A couple of shots fired off from his P90,* and the brigands ran, screaming about sorcery and witchcraft. A few days later, a group of armed men, like knights from the local renaissance festival, arrived in the area.

Gwaine tried to lay low, as he followed and listened to their conversations. They were on the hunt for a sorcerer who supposedly called down thunder with an odd-looking wand. He narrowed his eyes and silently cursed his own stupidity. Of course the bandits would have called it magic...and now it appeared, the local king of the realm had found out and arrived with a bunch of knights to investigate.

As he edged closer to the men, he began overhearing things that made his blood run cold. The blond man was called Arthur Pendragon, a prince and the son of Uther. More swear words ran through Gwaine's mind. First, there was the fact that the mythical king, whose stories he learned as a child, was real. Secondly, he realized that history obviously didn't get it right.

Gwaine heard the prince call out for his servant to help make camp.

_"Merlin!"_

The Captain expected to see the stereotypical old wizard from the movies to step up.

The gangly young man who responded to the name, was anything but.

After a bit more spying, he soon realized that he might be on another planet, where the legendary tales were being lived out; much like the Egyptian gods being Goa'uld, or the Asgard...aka "Roswell Grays"...posing as the Norse gods.

He stayed out of sight, recalling his training and the varied science fiction stories he had read: do not interfere. As he listened more, he really began to realize his technology alone was certain to get him killed.

Soon enough they left, heading back towards whatever castle they called home. He wasn't surprised to hear them call it Camelot.

Just over a month had passed, as he waited and relied on his survival training near the gate. There was no standard DHD* that he could find within the crystalline structure inside the cave, and he was certain he searched every inch of the blasted place. There was, however, a different device with symbols similar to the Ancients, but for all his training, he couldn't get the damn thing to work.

Two months in and he was starved for human contact, and a beer. Hell, just something. He was going crazy. Finally, convinced that no one was coming through the gate for him, he left the cave, buried his weapons and gear nearby...so none of the wandering bandits would find them and accidently blow their kneecaps off...and set out in search of civilization.

He wandered from town to town for a while, gambling as he went, finally winning a sword. Gwaine made up a story for himself to tell at taverns, and thoroughly began enjoying the harsh home-brewed ale they served...perhaps a bit too much. He tried to drown out the life he'd lived before, and settled into the nomadic lifestyle of a mercenary...hiring out his sword.

Nearly a year passed when he found himself in a tavern, and once again, face-to-face with the fairy tales of his youth. He could never resist a good bar fight, especially when he was helping out the underdogs and that was how he made his first friend: a very not-so-ancient and not-really-a-wizard, as far as he could prove; and without a pointy hat and glowing staff...a man named Merlin...

* * *

_Notes:_

_*USMC: United States Marine Corps_

_*SGC: Stargate Command_

_*DHD: Dial Home Device_

_*Ancients: The race of aliens that was thought to originally build the Stargates_

_*P90: The FN P90 Personal Defense Weapon is the standard submachine gun for SG-1, as well as the standard issue weapon for the Atlantis expedition. (description from stargate dot wikia)_

I've been plugging away on my main arc for so long, that my muse finally decided it was time for a break. LOL And out pops this story. I'm going to try and work on them simultaneously, although this one I will try to save my updates for only on Mondays.

Please take the time to leave a comment! I can't wait to read what you all think of this!


	2. Part 1: Chapter 1

**This chapter coincides with, and contains spoilers for, Diamond of the Day parts 1 and 2 (5x12, 5x13) from the Merlin series.**

**Warning: some language **

**Chapter One:**

* * *

_He vaguely heard Percival yelling his name through the torment, as he flitted in and out of consciousness. He was trying to hold on, but he wasn't sure if he would be able to._

(*~*~*~*)

It was just before the battle of Camlann. Gwaine knew the myths, it was where Arthur would die, supposedly at the hands of his bastard child...but Mordred wasn't Arthur's son. Up until recently, the kid was a well-liked member of the knights. For the most part, the man from the future realized so much of what he knew, which was mostly from movies like 'Excalibur'...was garbage. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised by how wrong Hollywood was. Then Mordred turned on the king and the whole of Camelot began preparing to take the war to Camlann.

"Hey Gwaine," Merlin said, coming up to his friend in the stables, as Gwaine was giving his horse a good rub down.

"Merlin, what brings you out here?" He asked, noting the serious look on the younger man's face.

"I need your help with something," the black-haired man replied shyly.

Gwaine chuckled, "You know you don't need to hesitate. Anything I can do for you, I will."

Merlin shuffled his feet a bit and sighed. Whatever was on his mind must have been heavy for the serious demeanor that surrounded him, Gwaine thought. "I need to go to the Valley of the Fallen Kings," he said, almost too quietly for the knight to hear.

He stopped and put down the brush he'd been using on his horse, Gringolet. He turned to Merlin, giving the man his full attention. He thought about questioning why, but he was already fairly sure he knew the answer. He remembered the cave that was there...and the gate. Years before, he'd figured out that Merlin probably did have magic, though not like the movies. He guessed that there was something magical about the cave, or at least something beyond his own understanding of alien technology. Not to mention, there was the danger from the bandits who frequently used the valley as their hideout. For his friend to ask for help was rare, and he knew must be important in the grand scheme.

For the hundredth time, Gwaine thought about either pushing Merlin for answers, or even revealing his own secret. With the idea of going to war, and now finally finding someone to share his life and bed with, he decided that sometimes it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.

Merlin could see the thoughts as they played on Gwaine's face. "Nevermind, I know you're busy and probably want to spend some time with Eira..."

Gwaine put his hand on Merlin's shoulder and stopped him with a brotherly squeeze. "When do we go?"

"As early as possible, you should make it back to Camelot in time to march with Arthur."

(*~*~*~*)

_Slipping down into the dark abyss, much like the wormholes it was cold. So very cold._

(*~*~*~*)

He gave Merlin his sword. "I hope you find what you're looking for," he said, as he watched the young man walk away from him, towards the cave he, himself, had come to this world through. Maybe Merlin was some sort of alien life form, and had a way to contact others through the gate inside the crystal cave...or perhaps, there was something more to the whole magic lark. Either way, it was hard watching his friend walk away.

Gwaine turned around a few times, his friendship with Merlin pulling him towards following the man. Yet, his ingrained sense of duty to 'king and country' from the time he joined the military, along with Merlin's insistence, pushed him back towards Camelot.

He knew he had to trust Merlin...and Merlin had asked him to look after Arthur. Gwaine reached the dead bandits. He thought about taking one of their weapons to use, until he was able to get another castle-forged blade. It was then, he noticed a familiar outcropping of rock. In the years since he arrived, he'd almost convinced himself this had always been his life, but the formation of stones brought his own reality back to him.

Gwaine went over to the rocks and began to move them aside; digging through the moss and soil which, over the years, had packed in around his hiding spot. Finally, he uncovered his treasure and looked it over. The firearms and ammo were ruined. Most of the cloth from his pack and clothing were destroyed by the elements as well. He found his dog tags and ran his fingers across the debossed characters.

A few months back, in Ismere, he'd lost the necklace he used to wear, when the Saxons had stripped him of everything of value. Without any real thought, he brushed the dirt off the tags and slipped them around his neck.

As he sifted through the rest of what was now mostly junk, he was surprised to find his radio in the center of it all, seeming to have weathered the burial intact. He flicked it on and was rewarded with the light signifying that it still worked. The battery display flashed with the lightning bolt across it, nearly out of juice. Turning it off again, he reburied everything else and stuffed the radio in his pack. He didn't know why, but perhaps it was simply the significance of having that final connection to the man he once was.

Retrieving his horse, he rode back to join Arthur and begin the final preparations for battle.

(*~*~*~*)

_There was nothing left. She had betrayed him, and he in turn betrayed his king and his friends. He waited for the end to come._

(*~*~*~*)

The battle had been fierce. They all lost many friends that night at Camlann. Many others as well, over the next few days, as the wounded succumbed to their injuries. Gaius returned, without Arthur or Merlin, and the news he brought with him of treachery made Gwaine's heart sink.

In such a short time, he had finally allowed himself to truly begin to think he could settle in here. His new home. He had resigned himself to never seeing the twenty-first century again. In less than a week, the beautiful blond had wormed her way into his heart, and he into her bed.

He shook his head and bit back the emotions. Eira...he sighed for perhaps the hundredth time that day. After years of holding out hope of someday returning to his home, he'd finally met a woman whom he'd given his heart to, and resigned himself to a life in this ancient land. She reminded him somewhat of a woman he'd left behind. He couldn't even remember how many years it had been since he last saw her, or even consciously thought about her. When he met Eira though, he gave up his last hope of going home, and finally decided to move on in this new life.

Reaching into a crevice, hidden behind his bed, he pulled out the last remaining piece from his old life. It seemed so foreign to him now. The batteries were nearly gone. He debated with himself about turning it on, one last time. Just for old times sake.

He'd made up his mind earlier in the day. He watched the blond he had hoped to make a life with, as she dangled lifeless from the noose around her neck. He was done with waiting. Finished with the idea that perhaps someone might come for him. There was nothing left now but Merlin and Arthur. The first two friends he made in this ancient, mythological world he now called home. Neither of them knew his secret. No one here did. He would take it to his grave. He smirked a bit, realizing that might be closer than even he would admit. It still felt odd at times to see how history, completely different from the stories he grew up with, came to pass.

No, he decided, he wouldn't turn it on yet. There was no point.

He moved to stick it back into the secret hole, but then paused. If he was riding to his death, it wouldn't matter whether he left it or took it. There was a measure of comfort to be had from the old radio; a link to fast cars, good times with friends, and chasing tail. That was, until he'd met the girl of his dreams, and took her to a concert at Red Rocks. Blond, intelligent, and gorgeous...and she also outranked him; but being from a different team, he didn't care.

That was the last time he'd been privy to live Rock'N'Roll. Two weeks later, he found himself in absolute hell.

He tossed the item lightly in his hand and made up his mind. He'd take the radio with him. If anything, he could throw it at Morgana, and maybe confuse her enough to run her through with his sword...or something. Hell, he didn't know what he was going to do, but oh how he wished he had taken more care when hiding his firearms. What he wouldn't give to put a bullet in that bitch's head. He held up the radio as if it was his sidearm, and imagined pulling the trigger. The result would be more spectacular than with a crossbow.

Stuffing the radio down, deep into his saddlebags, he picked up the familiar sword that has now become his main weapon, and left the room.

(*~*~*~*)

Name, rank, serial number.

Morgana caught them.

Name, rank, serial number.

Separated them.

Name, rank, serial number.

He knew he was confusing the hell out of her, and smiled despite his situation.

Name, rank, serial number.

Then she pulled out the snake.

Name, rank...

He could remember his screams, as if he were outside of himself.

Blackness.

He came around to see Morgana going through his bags, unsure of what he told her.

She came across his radio and eyed it with suspicion.

Gwaine chuckled through his pain at her obvious confusion.

"What the hell is this?" She asked, shoving it in his face.

"See that knob on the top? Go ahead and turn it and you'll find out." His voice was hoarse and breathy.

Morgana eyed him warily.

"Or not," he huffed out, while attempting to shrug against his bound arms. "Doesn't work for shit anyway."

He was actually surprised when she did twist the knob, and was rewarded with seeing her start in surprise, when the beep and the light indicating its activation, came on. Then his face fell as he heard something he never imagined he would again. Static...and voices were cutting in and out. The tracking light, signaling the radio's communication to an active MALP*, came to life.

Morgana threw it at him. "What manner of magic is this? You hypocrite! My brother, turning to sorcery! While watching those like me burned and beheaded! You and Merlin with your hidden magic. How dare you!" She screeched at him.

His eyes were still on the fallen communication device, watching it in disbelief. His mind was unable to process the intermittent sounds. She grabbed his chin in her hands and turned him to face her.

"No matter, you will tell me where my brother is...so I can KILL HIM!"

He didn't know when the snake creature appeared back in her hands. He was vaguely aware when the radio went silent, as the final bit of power drained...and left the unit dead. Soon, his screams once again drowned out any conscious thought.

Blackness.

"He's over here, we've found him."

Blackness.

"Get away from him!"

Blackness.

Gunfire.

Percival screaming.

Blackness.

The filtered light of the trees above him as he was jostled about.

Blackness.

"We're losing him!"

Pain in his chest from compressions.

Blackness.

The nauseating, chilling, and yet welcoming feeling of the wormhole.

Blackness.

Soft beeping, the hushed sounds of machinery, the rise and fall of a ventilation device. Voices in the distance.

He finally forced his eyes open to a bright light, which blinded him. He slowly became aware of the soft bed and clean sheets beneath him; as well as the cold, gray concrete walls and the ceiling, with its intricate duct work. He breathed a silent sigh of relief. After seven years...he was home.

He allowed himself to fall into a restful sleep.

(*~*~*~*~*)

"Hey, Percival. You should probably try and get some rest," a young woman said, approaching the large man. She had a pleasant smile and a calming presence, that the knight greatly appreciated.

He looked over at her and glanced away quickly in modesty, when he saw her legs indecently exposed below clothing that was nearly as short as a tunic. A white robe, slightly shorter than the skirt, was the only piece of cloth that appeared designed to conceal her form. Even the tavern wenches his friend was so fond of covered more. Overall, the way the women here showed indecent amounts of skin, left the knight questioning his own integrity.

For two days, he had been at the mercy of these strange people in this weird dungeon. He wasn't being kept like a prisoner, but he got the distinct feeling they wouldn't let him leave this odd cave...with its strange bright torches and magical red candles, that would come to life randomly, emitting a sound that assaulted his eardrums. Everything about this place was noisy. Even the people of Camelot on market day were not as loud as this place.

A constant humming ran through every wall and odd tube. The infirmary, where he currently sat, was a constant cacophony of beeps, hisses, thrummings, ringings, and tickings. Many of the noises came from boxes surrounding the man laid out in a thin white tunic, attached to the boxes with small, clear, flexible tubes. He laid on a small metal bed near Percival, covered in sheets whiter than snow. Everything here was so unnatural.

Despite the multitude of attempts by the people here to explain the difference between magic and a thing they called technology, he still felt completely disturbed by his surroundings. Yet for all their explanations not a single one of them could find a reasonable excuse for why his friend still lay unconscious.

He, sort of, understood the idea of medicine, although this was far beyond anything Gaius performed. They used it to remove something called a bullet from his shoulder. It was good they had taken it out, he thought, since they were the ones who put it in him in the first place...with their odd magical bows.

He didn't know when he dozed off finally, or what exactly had awoken him, but Percival immediately became alert to the difference in the beeping from one of the boxes next to Gwaine. A groan from the bed and he was at his friend's side in an instant.

"Gwaine. Gwaine," he whispered hastily, glancing around to make sure they were alone.

The other knight slowly cracked open his eyes and gave Percival the oddest look of confusion.

(*~*~*~*)

Gwaine laid as still as he could manage, and just listened. The familiar sounds, a comfort compared to the nightmare that clung to his mind. The steady beeping of the pulse monitor allowed him to focus on the dream he figured would soon fly from his mind. Yet it didn't seem like a dream should be. It truly felt like memories. The last seven years, wandering around in the dark ages, as a knight of King Arthur and Camelot no less. He loved the stories while growing up, and he reasoned with himself that they must have been the driving force behind his unconscious fantasies.

But then, there were other things that he couldn't explain. It all seemed so real: Arthur, Percival, Leon, and most of all...Merlin. Why he would dream he was Merlin's friend, and that the powerful wizard of his childhood adulation would instead, be a servant and younger than himself, was beyond his grasp. His last memories, if they could be called that, were of shame...Eira's treachery, then the torture by Morgana that lead to his own betrayal of the king he had vowed to serve.

Then he felt it...subtle at first and he tried to ignore it. Yet, as he lay there the sensation grew and began to overpower him. He didn't want to lose the dream by acknowledging the feeling. Although the ending was painful beyond anything he could have consciously imagined, there were so many good times too. There was drinking in the pubs... the women, his friends, the battles together, and the way the earth felt so much more alive. Gwaine fought against the urge overtaking his body, and he distantly heard the pulse monitor increase with his discomfort. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He had to do it, he was going to lose the dream, but it was inevitable.

He had an itch on his nose.

Satisfied, he laid his hand back down on the bed. His eyes were still closed for the moment and he found his recollections of the dream hadn't left him. Hearing the creaking of metal, as a chair shifted off to his left, he finally allowed himself to open his eyes. Just a tiny crack at first, so he wouldn't be blinded by the fluorescent lighting of the infirmary. Someone was standing above him, casting a large shadow across his face.

"Gwaine. Gwaine," he heard the voice whisper in conspiratorial and fearful tones. It was a voice he knew well.

Opening his eyes a bit more, he felt like Dorothy coming back from Oz, when she recognized the faces from her dreams in the people surrounding her. It took him a minute to realize he wasn't dreaming, as Percival stood over him nervously.

"Whoa," Gwaine gasped, "didn't mean to click my heels that hard."

* * *

**_*M.A.L.P Mobile Analytic Laboratory Probe, is a reconnaissance probe employed by Stargate Command and the Atlantis expedition to determine the conditions on the other side of an active wormhole before sending a team through, in order to make sure it's safe. _**_(from stargate dot wikia)_

**__****_AN: _****Thank you for the follows, favs, and the reviews on this story! I know I said it would be Monday, but I get impatient when it comes to posting. Plus I want to get this story out of my head so I can continue Lord of Beasts. For those reading that story: nope, not abandoning it, just hit a minor roadblock and suffering from my muses being kidnapped by this story for the time being. Actually, it's probably more of a muse vacation since I've been working on the Coin story arc almost non-stop since last October. There's not going to be much action in this story, and it should only end up at about 6-8 chapters...I hope, as my mind twists off in some new directions.**

**If anyone has seen the movie 'Jacob's Ladder' you may notice a similarity in the way this chapter was written in flashes. That was completely intentional.**

**_Also, I know the radio still working is a stretch...but it was necessary technological plothole for the fic to move forward. :-)_**

**__****_Kind of awkward (and for some of the guys, gross) historical note: There is a reason it was more indecent for a woman to show the lower part of her body in those days. It had to do with lack of good feminine protection...'nuff said. If you want more info PM me and I'll send you a link to what I'm talking about._**

**__****Special thanks to IcarusLSU for helping to create the ideas for this story and to Nance for her amazing beta-reading.**

**__********Please leave a comment, or PM me, and let me know what you think of this story!**

**_ Thanks for reading!_**


	3. Part 1: Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

Click, click, click. The sound of the button on the mouse was almost distracting. He felt the weight of Snowdon Mountain surround him today, a he sat in his office in the military style base and plugged away at the computer in front of him.

His office was in one of the upper levels of the hollowed out mountain, well above the machine rooms that kept the base running. He was tucked back in a niche, off some remote corridor, where he could be left in peace from the majority of comings and goings at the base. The reinforced gray concrete walls were covered in tapestries he had collected throughout his long life. Shelves along two of the walls were filled with personal books and knick-knacks. He once kept them at his home, a small cottage hidden in the forest of Southeastern Wales, near what once was Camelot. Now, however, he stored these pieces in his office. The controlled climate of the underground facility was the safest place to keep the pieces from rotting. He no longer had to use his magic to stave off the effects of time.

He had lost more pieces over the years due to his constant travels and forgetfulness, than to anything else. Even though going from one place to another was no longer the great journey it once was, it was still a comfort to know the items would be there when he returned. He had an odd thought. 'Unless of course, the mountain collapsed'. He dismissed it with a snicker. He wondered why he felt so distracted today.

There wasn't much duct work around the corners and across the ceiling, so it kept the emissions in his little hole of an office to a minimum; even when someone further below was running an experiment. So, he doubted if that had anything to do with it. A friend, who knew of his magic, once asked if the EM field distorted his powers. Merlin had laughed and simply explained that having been born into a world before modern technology, he was just more conscious of the constant hum; barely outside of normal hearing range. It did nothing to interfere with his abilities, just his concentration from time to time.

Most days, he didn't have any issues with the way his life had turned out. Although it had been an extremely long one, he wouldn't change a thing. He was considered one of the top analysts for UNIT, even though most of the personnel currently staffed at the base had no idea of his existence. The UNified Intelligence Taskforce[1] was in charge of researching and containing a variety of threats that other agencies around the world were unequipped to deal with, such as anything extraterrestrial or paranormal...at least the ones that didn't concern the highly-classified Stargate Program of the U.S., or the even more secret Torchwood Initiative of the U.K.

His own personal interest stretched more into what was classified as paranormal, or magic, as he called it. He typically coordinated with Torchwood on things that even they couldn't explain. At least he did, until the fall of the London headquarters of Torchwood One, and the Battle of Canary Wharf.[2] That was just weeks before Martha disappeared. Now, the only Torchwood left, was in Cardiff. Merlin marveled at how much had changed, since the days when Queen Annis ruled over the same area from her castle in Caerleon...just a few leagues away from the, now, bright and bustling city.

The man running it, Captain Jack Harkness, was a real character. He, like Merlin, seemed to have an unusually long life span. Often, Merlin had considered having a sit down over a cuppa to discuss their apparent common immortality. Most of the people he worked with, knew he was different from them. Hell, he'd been in this very office for longer than most of his contemporaries had been alive. Although not on the best of terms with Harkness, it was a small comfort to know that he wasn't the only one dealing with the inability to die. In fact, the only reason he hadn't spoken with the captain about it, was the man's seemingly insatiable sexual appetite, which extended to anyone...or anything.

Not that Merlin hadn't experienced various indiscriminate activities over the years himself, but Harkness's advances were in a class all their own. Simply stated, though, Jack was just not Merlin's type.

Dark blue eyes drifted from the screen, filled with numbers and codes, to the picture that sat on the corner of his desk; a person who really was Merlin's type. Deep brown eyes, and a beautiful white smile, stared out at him from the frame. Her black hair and coffee-toned skin contrasted against his own pale complexion. They met a few years back, when she was still in medical school. They went on a few dates, nothing serious at the time. Then she went missing for a while.

It was around the time that the entire hospital she was interned at, had disappeared. An odd occurrence of rain flying upwards caught the attention of many in the UK.[2] Months later, when he finally ran across her again, she never fully explained what had happened to her, but he could tell whatever it had been, had changed her.

He began to talk with her about his job, and she jumped on the chance to join UNIT. Martha Jones. They complimented each other well, he felt, as her own interests strayed more towards the extraterrestrial and alien technology side of things. They had begun dating again, as soon as she graduated officer training for UNIT. Although this time around, it quickly became more than just casual dinners. Some days, he questioned his own sanity; becoming involved with someone who wouldn't live past eighty to one hundred years. He learned long ago, however, that he would rather chance having love and companionship for a short time, than live alone in misery.

He only recently found out where she had been during her absence. An alien...a Time Lord...had taken her travelling in his TARDIS[3], on a journey through space and time. It was near the end of their travels, that the man known as 'The Doctor,' took her to Camelot. She admitted to seeing Merlin there, standing beside the recently widowed queen. She never explained any more of what she saw than that, but it opened the door for him to confide in her about his very long existence.

He brought himself back to the present and stared at the photo again. The beautiful woman was still smiling at him from the printed paper.

The picture was taken just after their engagement, a few months before. She would be his seventh wife. He supposed it might seem extremely odd to others if he were to say he was a widower six times over. Chuckling, he could just envision some tabloid media on the telly chronicling his life; like some odd, suspected serial wife-killer, or something.

"'But what happened to his third wife?' You might ask. He claims that she fell victim to illness during the tenth century...yet, he has no proof to support that.

" ...His fourth wife?' Well, no records of HER remain to be found…" an imaginary voice charged.[4]

Finally, giving up on his work, he began to allow his mind to drift through his memories. He thought about his first wife...a true princess; well above his own station. He was, however, no longer a simple servant by the time he, and the few remaining Knights of Camelot, had sought refuge in the lands of Nemeth...

(*~*~*~*~*)

_Two years. It had been two years, since the Battle at Camlann._

_Two long years...since Merlin set Arthur's lifeless body adrift in the lake._

_Two years...from the time that the dream of Albion began to crumble..._

_Guinevere took up the mantle of her reign as queen as well as she was able to. She mourned for Arthur deeply. There were so many losses from that battle. Many, like Arthur, had never returned. Merlin felt the sting in his chest, not only for losing his king, but for the disappearance of Gwaine and Percival as well._

_A new spark of hope arose in Camelot when Gwen announced that she was pregnant with Arthur's child. Sadly, she never got around to lifting Uther's laws on magic. Merlin understood. Gwen and her unborn child's safety were more important than his secret. She knew about it, and she accepted him for it, but together they decided it was too soon after Arthur's death to change things. Instead, they would start subtly, on a case-by-case basis. The druids were free to live as they chose. Others with magic, who hadn't truly been persecuted since Uther's reign, were allowed to do the same for the most part._

_Then a sickness began ravaging through the lands. Merlin had been sent out with the knights, as the Court Physician of Camelot, since Gaius was too old to make the journey. By the time they reached the affected village, it was too late. Nearly two-thirds of the population was already dead, or dying._

_They returned to Camelot, and to the unexpected news that the plague had reached the city. Gaius was among the first to succumb to it. His age, and the fact he had been in the thick of things trying to heal the afflicted when the outbreak began, weakened his body and he succumbed to the disease quickly. Merlin barely had time to say his farewells to his surrogate father, before Gaius died._

_In less than a fortnight, the sickness had decimated the once shining citadel. Among those struck with the sickness near the end, were Gwen and her infant son. There was nothing Merlin could do...not even with his magic, as he tried to heal them. With his state of exhaustion and what was left of Gaius' dwindling medical supplies, he could do nothing to ease her suffering._

_Gwen's last request, while she held the dying child close to her breast, was to be with her husband. She never wanted to be queen, only to be Arthur's wife._

_Merlin took her to the lake._

_He assisted her into a boat on its shores, and set mother and son adrift with his magic. They disappeared into the mist._

_Camelot was left in shambles. Soon, other kingdoms, hearing of the lack of rulership, came pounding on the gates. There was no one left to occupy the throne. Camelot, and all their dreams, fell into the pages of myths._

_Merlin and Leon led a small group of ragtag knights and refugees, across the borders to Nemeth, where they petitioned King Rodor for asylum. To repay his debt to Arthur's memory, the king took them in._

_The secret warlock would have been satisfied to simply be a servant, but King Rodor wouldn't hear of it. He knew some of what Merlin had done for Arthur, and also how he had participated in saving himself and Mithian as well. Unbeknownst to Merlin, Leon had spoken on his behalf to the king, and confided in the monarch about Merlin's abilities. Not long after, Merlin was surprised to have a title bestowed upon him. Unlike Camelot, Nemeth never persecuted those with magic, and he was named as an apprentice to the current Master of Magic for the Royal Council. The man was nearly as old as Gaius had been. When he realized the extent of Merlin's abilities, he happily stepped down and let the younger man take up the mantle._

(*~*)

_"Hello, Merlin."_

_The warlock looked up from his desk and smiled, "Princess Mithian. What brings you to my humble chambers?" He was desperately trying to finish a proposal for King Rodor's council concerning some druids, who sought to take shelter in the lands of Gedref. Although the issue was relatively minor, Rodor liked being kept in the loop about all his subjects. King Bayard of Mercia, who became the ultimate victor in the final battle for what was once Camelot, had begun persecuting the druids nearly as ruthlessly as Uther had...which is why the druids began turning towards Nemeth._

_The dark-eyed princess swept into the room, and casually walked around it. She wandered along the shelves, eyeing the books, and odd assortment of items displayed. "I came by to say 'hello'...am I not allowed to do such a thing?"_

_"Of course you are. This is your castle...well, your father's." Merlin's eyes followed her path around the room. He felt his heart quicken, and his breath catch. Clearing his throat, he purposely turned back to his work._

_"And someday it will be my brother's," she stated in a casual, almost bored, tone._

_Merlin cocked his head to the side. "And if he doesn't return, it would fall to you."_

_He'd only heard of Mithian's brother, as a war campaign with the Gauls kept him away for the past years. When Morgana and Odin chose to join forces against Camelot and Nemeth, their timing wasn't without purpose. They had only waited long enough for Rodor's son to set sail, before they kidnapped Rodor and Mithian._

_"Or, to whomever I decide to marry." She came to stand behind him, looking over his shoulder._

_Her face was so close to his, while she watched him write, that he started fidgeting. "I heard your father is still searching for the right suitor for you," he managed to say, past the lump in his throat._

_"Mmm..." The hum of her voice, so close to his ear, sent shivers through him. "The crux of the problem is: the men he has proposed are either too old, or too young. Of course, there is also the issue that I doubt I could love any of them."_

_Merlin shifted uncomfortably and laughed nervously. "Well, that could be an issue, I suppose."_

_"Yes, it is." Mithian stepped back, her chestnut colored hair brushing against Merlin's cheek as she moved. "...only because I already love someone else."_

_He watched her out of the corner of his eye, as she walked around to the front of the desk. "Who?" He managed to barely croak out._

_The princess sat gracefully in the chair across from him. "There is a rather dashing man who has saved me from fate, twice. I fear, I have fallen in love with him."_

_He chuckled, "If it is as you say, My Lady, then does he return your feelings?" Merlin couldn't grasp why she was confiding this information to him, instead of one of her maids, or ladies-in-waiting._

_"I had hoped he did, but I feel he is too preoccupied with other things, to even notice me."_

_"Then he is a fool," he said with a smile before he realized what he said. Merlin quickly turned away, and pretended to busy himself with something on the shelved wall behind the desk._

_"Hmm. Yes, Queen Annis of Caerleon seems to agree with you...and I recall King Arthur admitting to a similar sentiment once." Her voice, normally smooth and deep, had taken on a heavy air of annoyance._

_Merlin could feel her chocolate eyes boring into the back of his skull. He coughed, "What would you like me to do for you then, My Lady? A love spell, perhaps?" He put on his best idiotic grin and turned back to her...only to find she had moved from the chair and was suddenly right beside him._

_He nearly fell over backwards when her lips touched his. "Are you a fool, Merlin, or am I?" Her eyes searched his face, for any sign of rejection._

_"Obviously, I am," he replied breathlessly, his smile broadening. He couldn't stop himself when he leaned forward and returned her kiss._

(*~*)

_There were no issues when Merlin finally asked for her hand, after her brother's return. Within a few years they had two wonderful children to share their lives with...however, then they both began to realise something. Merlin wasn't aging._

_He stayed by her side until she took her last breath. Their children grew, and had children of their own. They, in turn, had children. Each generation grew further away from him, until he was nothing more than a stranger to most of them. However, he was able to keep in touch with one or two, from time to time._

_It'd been over thirty years since he finally lost touch with his last known descendant. She married a boy in the US Army, and moved across the pond. He heard she had kids, but nothing after that. Merlin wondered if he dared to locate them, and what they might think of some crazy man...spouting about how their ancestor was once a servant in King Arthur's Court._

(*~*~*~*~*)

The shrill ringtone of his smartphone snapped him back to reality. He glanced at the incoming ID with a smile, and answered.

"Ay-up, love!" He said to his current fiancée.

"Ay-up to you, as well." Martha's voice quipped from the speaker. "How are you doing today?"

"Alright, I suppose. Just thinking about you."

He could almost hear her smile through the phone. "Well, I just wanted to let you know...you should take a look at some of the recent IOA reports from the SGC. I think, you'll find something with a bit of a personal interest in them for you."

"Oh?" He asked. His voice holding a tone of disbelief. "Since when do you have access to the International Oversight Authority and Stargate Command?"

"I don't," Martha responded, clicking her tongue. "...but, let's just say, I have some inside information. You might really want to look for something regarding the recent return of a man, who was classified as missing, presumed deceased, due to a Gate malfunction a few years past."

(*~*~*~*)

Martha reached up and readjusted the towel on her head. After a long week at work, she was finally going to have a few days to recharge, before flying home to prepare for her wedding. Glancing at her phone, she frowned. She hadn't heard from Merlin for almost two days, not since she called him with the intelligence on the men in the SGC. She knew, when he would eventually contact her, that he was going to grill her about where the knowledge came from. Martha wasn't sure if she was ready to reveal that information to him, just yet.

She flopped down in her favorite chair in her one bedroom flat, and debated on trying to phone her fiancé, or just turning on the television, when the sound of the door buzzer startled her.

"Just a second!" She called towards the door. Standing, she tightened the sash on her bathrobe and went to see who it was. After a quick glance through the peephole, she unlatched the door and threw it open with a squeal.

Merlin stepped in and swept her up in his arms.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, after a heated kiss.

"Passing through, on my way to Colorado," he explained. He sat his bag down inside the flat and closed the door. Taking off his coat, he elaborated, "When I wasn't in the air over the Atlantic, I have been on the phone trying to pull strings to get things arranged."

"So, you read those files I suggested?" She asked, leading him over to the couch.

He flopped down unceremoniously. "Yeah, I had to use a bit of my unique skills to get to them, but I finally did. Even then, it didn't click right away; what it had to do with me. That is…until I saw a photo of the cloaks they were wearing."

"Do you think you know them?"

"You obviously think I do," he responded with an accusatory smirk.

"Care for a cuppa?" She headed towards the small kitchen, purposely ignoring his inquiry.

"Level with me, Martha. What do you know, please?"

"Coffee or tea?"

"Martha!"

"I can't say yet, because I'm not even certain myself. Now…coffee or tea?" She asked again.

"Beer, please." He finally relented with a cheeky grin. His blue eyes followed her movements. "You can be quite stubborn, at times. You do realize that, don't you?"

She turned and flashed him a mischievous smile. Pulling two dark bottles out of the refrigerator, she opened them and brought them to the couch. She handed him one before sitting next to him. "I'll tell you everything soon, I promise."

He held up his beer and tipped it towards her. "I'll hold you to that."

She clinked her bottle against his, before taking a drink. "Tell me, how was the flight?"

Merlin smiled. He utterly loved flying, and she knew it. It was one memory that still remained clear throughout the ages…flying…on a dragon. "Not like it used to be, but still just as amazing as it always has been."

Martha curled up closer to him on the couch.

"I wish I could take you for a ride on a dragon. Although, if Kilgharrah was still around, he'd probably throw a hissy fit, if I asked such a thing."

"You never told me what happened to them." She loved his stories. Martha understood the need to live in the 'here and now', and Merlin for the most part, did…but he was never afraid to tell her of the past that made him, or at least, what he could consciously recall.

The Doctor, on the other hand, was all about moving forward and running away from his past…as if it was a demon he couldn't escape. He never opened up; never let her see who he really was. When she was travelling with the Doctor, it was as if she was with a stranger at times. Martha felt more like his personal assistant, rather than his friend. She may have saved the world with that man, but in the end, she had to break free from him. She had to walk away.

That had been the best decision of her life. 'Well, second best,' she thought, as she glanced down at the ring Merlin had given her.

Merlin sighed and stretched out, putting his feet on her coffee table. "Kilgharrah was old when I met him. The last time I saw him, was the last day of King Arthur's life. You know, I actually remember swearing to myself, at the time, that I would never get over the hurt and pain of that day. Now, I think back at how naïve I was. Life always moves forward."

"And the other dragon?"

"I tried to help her...tried to heal her, but she would only come to me if I commanded it. After a while..." Merlin lapsed into silence.

Martha snuggled closer to him, on the couch. "It's ok, you don't have to talk about."

He smiled, appreciating how she rarely pushed him to talk about his past.

The settled into a comfortable silence, simply enjoying being in each other's presence. "I've missed you," she finally said. Their time together had been stuttered lately, with her having been transferred to New York, and him still staying in the UK.

"I've already applied for an open-ended leave of absence after the wedding," he assured her. "So, all I need to do, is go back in for a few days to get the stuff I was working on sorted. Then I will pack up and be all yours…until you get sick of me and tell me to shove off."

Martha laughed, "I don't think that will happen for a long time." She cocked her head to the side and clicked her tongue. "As long as you earn your keep, I think I might like having a house husband."

"Ooh, modern feminism at its finest! I think I might enjoy lounging around the flat, doing nothing but eating bon-bons and watching the telly all day." He took their beers and set them on the table. "So, My Lady, what do I need to do first…to prove I'm a keeper?"

She laughed at the goofy smirk on his face and grabbed his shirt, pulling him into a passionate kiss.

(*~*~*~*~*)

Early the next morning, Merlin found himself on another flight. This time, heading to Colorado Springs, his fingers entwined with the woman's next to him. Martha had a few days off, so she was more than happy to accompany him.

She smiled, watching his face light up, when the plane lifted off the tarmac. He was always so excited to be in the air. One of the first stories he had told her, was of his experiences as one of the original pilots for the RAF.[5] He had been travelling the world at that time, and was somewhere in the far east, when word came of the Great War starting. Merlin quickly departed back to his homeland.

He always did when he heard of an arising conflict. Part of him would wonder if this was the time he had been waiting for; the time prophesied by the Great Dragon. Each time, he would walk by the lake and search for signs. Fourteen centuries, and he was still waiting. Some days, he would find himself lamenting for times he thought he had forgotten. Human nature, and his own stubborn spirit, would pull him out of his melancholy and encourage him to move on.

Merlin silently recalled one of his darkest moments in the late sixteenth century. A few years prior, he said goodbye to another wife. There was still no sign of Arthur, as the year marking a full millennium since the king's passing, slid by.

He decided to have one last night out on the town, before hiding himself away in the Crystal Cave. The hidden cavern served as a sanctuary, when immortality began to take its toll through the years. Merlin would have gone sooner, but that night was the final performance for Shakespeare's 'Love's Labour's Lost', and he didn't want to miss it.

At the end of the show, the oddest thing happened: a strangely dressed woman in the crowd began shouting, "Author!"[6] Something about her just made him smile. He left with the dispersing crowd, but he was filled with a new sense of hope, as he set out across the country to the valley in which the caves were hidden.

Merlin was more than a little stunned to come across the strange and enchanting woman again, over four hundred years later. At first, he thought it was just a coincidence that the two women appeared so similar. He ran home and scoured his journals. Rarely did he draw pictures of people he met...but the woman from the Globe Theater in 1599, was among the exceptions. Everything about her, right down to the style of clothing, was identical. Merlin snickered to himself, as he remembered his fascination with the events.

When he first approached her for a date, a few years back, it was simply curiosity...a fishing expedition. When she returned after her lengthy, and still mostly unexplained, absence, she seemed to know more about him, as well. Martha told the warlock about the Doctor, and travelling through time, but refused to give him any specifics on how she knew him. He, in turn, teased her with the idea that he had seen her before, as well. It had since become an inside joke between them.

He squeezed her hand again. He turned away from watching the clouds moving below them, through airplane window. Merlin's eyes came to rest on her face, while she read a book on her tablet computer. Coincidence, providence, or destiny...whatever it was, he was thankful to have her in his life.

A loud ding emitted from the in-flight speakers, followed by the captain's voice announcing the beginning of their descent into Colorado Springs. Merlin felt apprehension grow deep in the pit of his stomach, which he couldn't quite place. He didn't know who the cloaks in the picture belonged to. There were no names listed on the records, but something about the physical descriptions of the owners was vaguely familiar to him.

(*~*~*~*~*)

Martha stood tall in her uniform, just a step behind Merlin. He had his hands clasped behind his back. The only outward sign of his nerves was the way he kept twitching his thumbs, as if he had an unbearable itch. When the elevator arrived, they got on; thankfully, alone. A guard was to greet them at the lower level, and escort them to see the commanding officer of the underground military base.

"Alright?" She asked, taking his hand.

He nodded and offered her a lopsided grin. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I never imagined seeing you this nervous. It'll be fine. You'll see."

"But what if they are my friends, and I can't even remember what they look like?"

She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "You will," she promised. Martha stepped back in place, as the doors slid open.

Instead of there being an escort to the general, they were personally greeted by General Hank Landry.

* * *

**Footnotes:**

**1. UNIT (UNified Intelligence Taskforce, or United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) is a military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood, and The Sarah Jane Adventures.**

**Following the broadcast of the 2005 series, executive producer Russell T Davies claimed that the UN were no longer happy to be associated with the fictional organisation, and the UN's full name could now no longer be used. However, the "UNIT" and "UN" abbreviations could be used, as long as it was not explained what the letters stood for. (from wikipedia dot org)**

**2. Reference to Doctor Who Episodes.**

**3. Time And Relative Dimension In Space (The blue police box the Doctor flies around in)**

**4. Silly Note: I could hear Keith Morrison, of Dateline NBC, doing a voiceover for this imagined narration.**

**5. RAF: Royal Air Force**

**6. Reference to Doctor Who episode 3.2 The Shakespeare Code. Funny tidbit: in The Shakespeare Code, The Doctor, preparing to open the door and allow Martha to experience time travel, actually says, "It's a brave new world..." which is quite amusing since they went back in time and not forward, as the reference is a to a book about a future time and I thought fit in well with the title, which I stole from the Iron Maiden song of the same name.**

* * *

**Other Notes:**

**First off: HA! There ya go EM and Aerist! Told you I would get you some Merthian *cackles insanely* **

**Amazing thanks to Nance for beta reading/proof-reading, and IcarusLSU for helping me keep things straight.**

**And also to everyone who has reviewed and fav'ed/followed this so far!**

**_Revisions Applied 8/13_**


	4. Part 1: Chapter 3

_**Hello! Thanks for the reviews on this story! Once again big thanks to Nance for her amazing beta skills!**_

_**Quick note: There were a couple of revisions done on the previous chapter to help "set the scene" a bit better, nothing plot changing, or life-altering for the characters. Just a little something to bring the reader into my world a bit more. Anyway...back to the new chapter! Footnotes at the bottom to help those who may not be familiar with Stargate or Doctor Who. Hope you enjoy all the bromance in this chapter, please leave a review!**_

* * *

**Chapter Three:**

Percival eyed the hot, black substance in the cup warily. To his reasoning, it did not look, or smell, like something drinkable. He stared at his own shimmering reflection in the thick glassy container, with its clean, polished enamel. It was similar to many other things here, being a white color that was purer than anything he had known. The large knight found himself caught between fascination and fear.

Gwaine laughed, "It isn't going to bite you, my friend."

"But what is it?"

"Nectar of the gods...pure, wonderful, roasted to perfection, then totally ruined by the automatic drip, to make it into the bitter substance it is today. Probably started with beans from Colombia..."

"Actually, that's Hawaiian 'Kona' Coffee, and I brought it in from my personal stock, as a welcome home present for you, and I slipped it into the cup before they brought the tray in." A man's voice piped from the doorway.. "...but if you don't like it, I can always take it back."

Gwaine looked up and grinned at the guy coming in. "Holy bloody hell, Cameron Mitchell!"

The man was dressed like many others in the base. The standard black T-shirt, pants, and polished boots; all form fitting and clean. He had short, cropped, light brown hair...which looked like fuzz from a nearly ripe cattail, sticking off in odd directions. His eyes were a light sky blue, below a high forehead that made the man's square face seem longer than it was. His upper lip curled in a snarl of disapproval. "Wow, has the General seen your hair? You are so far out of regs...I should give you a Page Seven [1] myself...because, you know, I outrank you now."

"Well, doesn't that just bugger all?" Gwaine rolled his eyes.

"And what the frack is up with the English accent, dude? I know your mom was a Brit, but seriously?" Colonel Cameron Mitchell snatched up Gwaine's coffee cup, and held it up to his face with a fake smile. He batted his eyes and held the handle daintily, with his pinkie finger sticking out. "Right-o, cheerio! Let's all have a cuppa, shall we? Maybe, Mi'Lard would prefer some tea and scones, while we raise a toast to Her Majesty..."

Cameron stopped abruptly. His light blue eyes froze when he saw Gwaine's frown. "Frack, what did I say?"

"Nothing man, don't worry about it." Gwaine began to flick imaginary dirt off the hospital-style table that floated over his lap. 'Her Majesty'...Queen Guinevere. No, that's not right, he thought to himself. He couldn't recall the current queen's name. His mother would be downright livid, if she was alive. She was very proper, British born and bred; pedigree and all. She was nineteen when she and his dad, an Army Sergeant at the US Embassy in London, were married. He, and his sister, were both born stateside. Laney, his sister, was three years his senior, and he hadn't seen nor spoken to her for years.

Gwaine was four years old when his dad was killed overseas. There was help available for military widows, but some underpaid paper pusher at the VA[2] screwed up the paperwork.

Instead of trying to deal with getting the benefits...on top of losing her husband, being on the brink of financial ruin, and a multitude of other problems...his mom decided to sell everything and go home.

They lived in London for a few years, barely scraping by, but happy in their two room flat... until his mother died in a car accident, when Gwaine was nine.

That was when Gwaine and his sister were sent to their only living relative; back in America, to Wyoming. Gwaine's dad had been estranged from his own father, a surly old rancher with a few hundred acres near the Montana border. To Gwaine's surprise, he actually got along rather well with his grandfather, whom he fondly called 'Pops'. His sister, on the other hand, never wanted to leave London. She was sixteen, when she ran away from home, after a huge confrontation with their grandfather.

Occasionally, Gwaine would get a call from her, just to check in. He was eighteen, when he finally found out the reason between his dad and grandfather's estrangement. From all accounts, the wild young man was chip off the old block. Gwaine was just as restless and headstrong as his father was; a typical teenager...without a care for rules. He lived his life in the fast lane: rodeo, skipping school, monster trucks, mud-bogging, drinking, and motorcycles. It was the last two that got him in trouble.

Pops bailed him out of the local county jail and stated, "If you're gonna act like your dad, you're gonna get the same treatment I gave him." Pops gave him a choice: either deal with the accident on his own, by repaying his grandfather for the bail money, and facing jail time for underage drinking and driving...or, Gwaine could drop out of his last year of high school, get his GED[3] and enlist in the military.

Gwaine, instead, chose a different option. He didn't enlist, instead the Marine recruiter saw something special in him. The recruiter pushed Gwaine into finishing high school and into college on a ROTC[4] scholarship. Unlike his dad, who simply enlisted after his argument with Pops, just to 'get the hell out of Dodge', Gwaine took the challenge to heart and changed his life around.

At university, he joined the fencing team. During a match against the USAF Academy, he met Cameron Mitchell. While Cam, aka "Shaft", failed miserably, Gwaine excelled in the sport, but that one match built a friendship which even time couldn't break.

Gwaine graduated with a degree in communications and took his commission shortly thereafter, passing up a chance to train for the Olympics. He applied for the Special Forces, and his military career went on the fast track.

"Dammit, Dallon." Cameron cursed. He put the mug back on the tray table in front of his friend. Grabbing a nearby chair, he spun it around and straddled it backwards, next to the bed. Cameron tried a different tactic to break through the silence. "First off, who'da thunk, we'd both end up here in the mountain, eh?"

Gwaine sighed, but stayed lost in his thoughts. He was pissed at how everything went down; from the moment he stepped through the Stargate and found himself in Camelot, to his return...which he couldn't even remember. Now, he was stuck in bed, unable to feel anything below his waist, because of some neurological thing; probably left over from Morgana's torture using her pet serpent. The doctors couldn't seem to tell him exactly what it was, or if it would heal.

"Come on, buddy, throw me a bone here...or something. Don't be going all PTSD[5] wonky on me, or I'll have your ass on KP[6] the moment you're released to light duty...peeling potatoes, or some shit."

Snorting out a chuckle, Gwaine turned to his buddy. "It's just been a long seven years, you know?" Gwaine noticed Percival was still staring blankly at the cup in his hand. "Cameron Mitchell, this here is Percival," he said, by way of an introduction.

The large knight looked up shyly, and gave a reserved smile and nod.

Cameron held out his hand, offering it in peace to the man. "Nice to meet ya. Damn, I think Teal'c's gonna have a run for his money as biggest badass on base, once he gets a load of you." He chuckled, when Percival returned the handshake.

The reference was completely lost on Percival. In fact, Gwaine couldn't recall ever seeing his large friend so befuddled. He supposed, it was logical. Being torn from everything you knew and shoved unceremoniously into such a foreign world, would mess with anyone's head. "Hey, Percival. Will you go find the Lady Doctor for me?"

The large man nodded, carefully setting the offending beverage down, and strode off.

"You know, you could just push that button by your bed there?" Cameron smirked, once Percival was out of earshot.

"Yeah, I know. I love the man, like a brother...but he won't stop hovering. I'm unsure if he's even figured out what a shower is yet."

Cameron chuckled, "I need to bust you out of here soon, so we can go grab a brewski."

"Sounds like a plan," Gwaine said, wiping his hands over his face. "So, how long have you been here?"

"Oh, I don't know...a while." The colonel looked at his watch, and read the date. "Maybe...about three days."

Laughing, Gwaine shook his head. "Yep, sounds like 'a while.'"

"Eh, I've actually been stationed with the SG Program for over three years now, as a pilot. You missed one hell of a dogfight against Anubis, in Antarctica a couple of years back..." Cameron cursed to himself when his friend just stared at him, blankly. "Ok, so there was this Goa'uld that ascended, right? Anyway, I was shot down, and just recently was released to full duty myself...so, we'll just skip that story."

"Cam, I've been out of it for seven years. I was stationed here straight out of SF training, just after they reopened the damn Gate. My team was the third one through, under the official program. 'Year, or so, later...I find myself stuck in the sixth-fracking-century. I don't even know how in the hell anyone found me."

"Riiiight..." Cameron licked his lips, and chewed on his thoughts for a moment. "Well, did you at least make use of that crappy fencing title you had?"

(*~*~*~*~*)

Percival was lost. Completely...and hopelessly...lost.

He wandered the underground tunnels of the SGC. He had gone, as Gwaine requested, to find the doctor. He then caught sight of her, just as she turned a corner ahead of him. He couldn't remember her name, in order to call out to her, so he just trotted after her, attempting to catch up. He went around the same corner and was faced with another hallway that ran to the left and front of him were large gray metal panels with huge white numbers painted on them. To the side of the tall panels, were two clear round circles with painted arrows pointing up and down in between them. A guard, dressed in mottled brown and green clothing, stood in front of the buttons, and raised his eyebrow at Percival.

"Can I help you find something?" He asked, his hand unconsciously moving to rest on the odd bent piece of black metal that hung from his belt, like a sword and scabbard.

Blue eyes darted back and forth, scanning the hallway. "I'm looking for the Lady Doctor."

The guard nodded, realizing that the man had come from the infirmary. "I think she went to see General Landry. You should probably head back to the infirmary. I'll put a call into the general's office and let them know."

Percival nodded his thanks, and turned back the way he had come. Somehow, somewhere between the guard by the numbered panels, and the infirmary, he made a wrong turn. His hand itched for a sword or a mace. Just something to defend himself with; although there appeared to be no threats in this place. It would have at least made him feel better.

He heard voices down a side passage, and stiffened. He knew who one of the voices belonged to...or he would have back in Camelot. Blue eyes widened, and a grin of relief sprouted on his face. Not only did the man coming towards him sound like Merlin...he looked like him too. He didn't know how, or why, and at that moment, he didn't care.

Percival swooped in on the shorter man, before the other had a chance to do anything.

Merlin just stared in utter disbelief, as he was picked up and squeezed within an inch of his life, by the giant knight he knew from many hundreds of years before.

"I take it you know this man, Colonel?" An older gentleman wearing a light blue shirt, covered in small ribbons asked.

Merlin replied, catching his breath, as Percival sat him down. "Yes, General, I do. He is a British Citizen, so under our current treaty, I'd like to request his transfer from the SGC into UNIT custody."

"UNIT custody, huh?" The general gave a mocking smile. "Or your personal custody? See, I checked up the ranks, and it appears your visit here is a bit off the radar." He raised his hands when Merlin opened his mouth to argue. "Now, I don't give a flying monkey's butt about whether your visit is official or not. I just came into this job. So, if something like this gets swept up in all the confusion during the transfer of command, and I happen to miss something...oh well. I'll say 'oops' later."

Merlin laughed, "General Landry, I think we are going to get along perfectly." He turned back to Percival. "How are you holding up?"

The large man shook his head and shrugged, "Well enough. Gwaine was the one she tortured."

It took a moment for Merlin to comprehend who Percival was referring to. "Is he alright?" His eyebrows knit together with concern.

"It'd be better if I could find him again. This place makes me nervous," he said in a hushed tone.

Two women stood back from them, watching the interaction. One was the doctor, whom Percival had been searching for. The other was a woman with a skin tone similar to Queen Guinevere's, wearing a man's style uniform that matched Merlin's. He wore a dark, tailored jacket, buttoned down neatly. On his chest were a row of tiny ribbons, similar to the general's. Shining insignia were on his collar, and he had a red, odd-looking hat tucked under his arm. It was so much fancier than the boy's former servant's clothing and neckerchief.

The doctor, whose knees were still very immodestly showing, came up to Percival. "Come on, we'll get you back to the infirmary and discuss your release."

"Now, Colonel," General Landry said, as they began following the doctor. "The other man...I can't release to you. You know that, right? He's a US citizen, and a Marine stationed here."

"If I read the file right, General, his contract expired five years ago. I think we should find out, first, if he wants to extend his commission, or move onto other things." Merlin gave Landry a polite, but challenging smile.

Landry laughed, "Fair enough. If anything, I believe Captain Dallon has quite a bit of leave time on the books."

(*~*~*~*)

"Command of SG-1...wow," Gwaine stated, as if he knew the actual significance. When he was last in the SGC, SG-1 was the team that seemed to catch the most flack, and find the most trouble. Now, however, they appeared to have become a legend on the base.

"Yep...but, I am supposed to start from scratch. Carter is off in Area 51, Dr. Jackson is heading to Atlantis, and I'm supposed to head out in about an hour to go try and convince Teal'c to come back. Don't suppose you want on the team?" Cameron put his hands together in supplication, and mouthed 'please, please, please'.

"...And take orders from you? Ha! You must have really knocked your head in that crash. Naw, think I'm gonna take some leave and get myself back into the twenty-first century. Maybe try and find my sister...see if Pops is even still alive."

"Oh, that old man of yours is still kickin'. Calls me every few months to see if I've heard anything about you."

Gwaine smiled at that, although it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Cameron leaned back and rolled his neck. "Oh, I was out a couple nights ago, at this kick ass bar, and the women there...bro, what happened, you looked for a minute there like I'd just run over your favorite puppy?"

Gwaine shook his head and scrunched his eyes against the emotions that started to hit him. "Nothing...I...uh..." He blinked rapidly and rubbed at his eyes. "It's just that, I recently lost someone I cared about...before I was rescued and all. Let's just say, I'm not ready for the dating scene, right now."

Cameron stood up and moved the chair out of the way. He moved closer to the hospital bed and squeezed his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, me too. Actually, it's kind of funny, and I don't think it's hit me yet; how many people I've lost. Everyone who I knew...whom I was close to back there...they're all gone. Dead and buried centuries ago, except Percival... and I don't think he realizes it yet either, or maybe he does. I never can tell with him sometimes."

"Gwaine!" The large man he was just speaking of, came bolting into the infirmary, a huge smile on his face.

Gwaine quickly wiped his face and returned the enthusiastic grin. "What is it?"

"You'll never guess who's here!"

He was right, Gwaine never would have guessed; not in a thousand years, probably not in a million.

Sauntering around the corner, chatting up the CO[7] of the base, was Merlin.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, neither man truly able to believe the other was really in front of him.

The other man put on a cheeky grin. "Hello, Gwaine!"

Cameron patted his friend on the shoulder, one last time, and said, "Well, I'll catch up with you more later, Dallon. I gotta go see a guy about a drummer for my band."[8]

Gwaine nodded, "Thanks Cameron. We'll have to go get that drink when you return."

"Oh, and hey Dallon," Cameron said, just before he dashed out the door. "Lose the accent."

After he left, Merlin slipped in beside Gwaine. He blinked in disbelief. "How the hell did you manage to pull this off?"

"I could ask the same thing about you."

"It's a long story..." Merlin said, almost wistfully.

"Isnt it always?" Neither of them wanted to elaborate on their stories at the moment.

"Well, Colonel Emrys, if you need anything, just let me know. I gotta actually pretend I work around here." General Landry said, before leaving the room.

Gwaine noticed the darker skinned woman in the uniform nearby, when she spoke, "Dr. Lam, I was informed Captain Dallon's condition is partially due to a suspected adder bite, yes?"

"Ah, we believe so...are you a doctor?" Carolyn Lam asked.

"I am." She turned and smiled at Gwaine. "May I have your permission to review your file?"

"Uh..."

"Don't worry, this is Martha Jones. She understands a lot more than you can imagine about these types of things," Merlin said, cryptically.

"Sure. Knock yourself out."

Martha waited for the base's doctor to start heading towards her office, and shot Merlin a wink before following. He gave her smile in return, which Gwaine had never expected to see on his scrawny friend.

Once the three men from Camelot were alone, they looked at each other. None of them sure what to say about the unusual circumstances they found themselves in.

Finally, Gwaine broke the stalemate and held out his hand towards Merlin. "Captain Gwaine Dallon, US Marines, Special Forces."

Merlin took his hand and shook it. "Merlin, from Ealdor...a hell of a long time ago." He looked expectantly at Percival.

"What?" The large man asked, not quite understanding why his friends felt the need to reintroduce themselves. "You know me. You saw me less than a fortnight ago, before Camlann."

Merlin pursed his lips. Gwaine chuckled at the man's unexpected reaction.

"Alright, maybe this will go better if we tell each other the whole story."

"I agree," Merlin snapped out. It took a hell of a lot to confuse him after all the centuries...and this situation certainly had.

Gwaine took a sip of his, now cold, coffee, and began his version of the tale. He explained to Merlin how he got into the military, and more specifically how he ended up back in Camelot. "I was told it was some sort of solar flare that caused the wormhole to jump. No one ever expected a Gate to be hidden in the British Isles. They've sent a team over to investigate and try to locate it."

"Where was it located?" Merlin asked.

"You know that cave in the Valley of the Fallen Kings you went to, last time I saw you?"

He sniggered, "Well, they're never going to find it."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I hid it with my ma..." his voice trailed off, and he looked at the other two men, nervously.

"Magic?" Gwaine grinned.

"You have magic?" Percival asked, his eyes searching the room to make sure they were alone.

"Uh...huh." He managed to look rather contrite.

Gwaine chuckled, "Yeah, I kind of guessed it when I first met ya. I mean, I grew up reading about the great wizard Merlin and all that. Hell, my mom actually named me after...bloody hell." He stopped. He didn't know how to react. He came to the realization that he was named after...himself.

Merlin imitated a fish rather well, opening and closing his mouth. He burst out laughing, unable to contain himself. "Why am I not surprised?"

Percival groaned, before finally chuckling, too. He may not have been able to grasp the entire conversation, but he could understand the basics of Gwaine's epiphany.

"Enough already!" Gwaine said in an exasperated tone. Although quite humorous, he was ready to hear Merlin's side of the story before embarrassing himself even more.

However, Merlin wasn't done listening to how the two knights managed to get to the twenty-first century. "So, how did you find your way home?"

Gwaine stared across the room. Percival took that as his cue to continue the tale. "We...went after Morgana. We thought we could ambush her, at least to give you more time to save the king."

"And to get revenge," Gwaine said, softly.

"I thought Gwaine was dead, when I finally got to him after I freed myself. She had tied me up. But then, some of these people came. They hit me with one of their..."

"Guns," Gwaine supplied, "he took round to the shoulder."

The large man nodded, rubbing at the bandage beneath his borrowed shirt, and continued, "Next thing I knew, they had Gwaine and me, and were taking us through that large metal circle, they call a 'Gate'. We arrived here, and they managed to save him. That was about four days ago, at least from what they say. I can't tell day from night, in this place."

Merlin nodded thoughtfully. He was about to open his mouth and speak, when Martha and the Dr. Lam came back into the room.

"Well, we've figured it out," she said with a smile. "The snake that bit you, was an extremely rare...and now extinct...offshoot of the adder, known as a 'nathair'." The raised eyebrows, and slight head nod she gave, indicated a deeper meaning that was not lost on the warlock.

Merlin looked at her appraisingly. Throughout the years, he'd managed to record and salvage books on creatures and magical items found in the Old Religion. There was so much information, he could barely remember a quarter of it on a good day. Only recently, due to Martha's receptiveness and ability to accept even the oddest of oddities, had he begun to share his wealth of knowledge with her.

Merlin searched his memories for more information on the creature...and came up blank. Sometimes it really annoyed him to be so old. He realized his memory hadn't left him, like it would for a normal person, but there was just too much stuffed in his head to sift through. He chuckled when Martha, realizing his issue, handed him a tablet with the information on it. It took barely a glance at the picture for his memory to finally click.

"Ah," he said, with a nod.

The doctor, who had made Percival blush, looked at the two UNIT officers. "For an extinct creature, you seem to know a lot about it." Her tone left no room for doubt, that she thought they were up to something.

"It's a hobby of mine, and I'm afraid my enthusiasm for the bizarre and exotic, has rubbed off on my companion." Merlin tried to explain.

"I see..." The doctor turned to Gwaine. "Well, according to Dr. Jones here, there is a way to reverse the neurotoxins that are still affecting your system."

"If I may borrow some of your equipment, I should be able to start working on the anti-venom."

Dr. Lam looked hesitantly between her patient and Jones. Finally, she relented. "I'll just have to get permission from General Landry first." She turned and headed back to her office to make the call.

Martha smirked at Merlin.

"Thank you. Have I told you how much of a dear you are, lately?"

"Well, yeah, but a girl always likes to hear how much she's appreciated." Martha squeezed his shoulder before leaving to find Lam.

"Extinct type of adder?" Gwaine chuckled when the three men were alone again. "So, does your girlfriend really have a cure for it?"

"No..." Merlin said, biting his bottom lip. His eyes darted around the room for a moment before they met Gwaine's. "...but I do, and she's not my girlfriend."

"That's a load of hogwash."

"Seriously," Merlin protested, "she's my fiancée."

Gwaine bit his tongue and laughed.

"What's a fiancée?" Percival asked.

"It means our little Merlin is betrothed," Gwaine explained. Turning back to Merlin he gave a thumbs up. "Good for you, my friend...about time you found someone."

The warlock looked away, his ears darkening with embarrassment. "Actually, she's not my first wife." At Gwaine's look of astonishment, Merlin continued, "I've been married a few times. You try living for centuries all alone. It's nice to find someone to share it with, from time to time. Now, do you want me to do this, or not?"

"With your magic, huh?"

The warlock gave a shrug. "Only if you want me to."

"Hell, why not. What's the worst that could happen?."

Percival crossed his arms in front of his chest, defensively. "Gwaine, are you sure? Magic is supposed to be evil."

"Do you think the man who shot you with the gun was evil?"

The large man thought for a moment. "No, it was a miscommunication. I didn't know they were there to help, and I thought I was protecting you."

"Same thing, I'd wager. Could you imagine Merlin here being evil?"

Percival shook his head immediately. "Never."

Merlin's heart soared. He never realized how much, even after so many centuries, what their acceptance would mean to him. "I should have told you both, long ago."

"And I should have told you about my own past, Merlin," Gwaine confided.

"No...I don't think I was ready for this..." he motioned to the room around them, "...back then."

"Fair enough." Gwaine rubbed his hands together. "So, what do you need to do?"

Merlin began explaining to his friend that there were two ways he could go about it. Either a quick burst of magic, to fully remove the remaining effects of the nathair, or a slower process that would appear more natural to those around them. As much as Gwaine wanted to be back on his feet, he realized a sudden miracle might not be the best choice without exposing his friend.

* * *

**Footnotes:**

**[1] Page Seven: I'm unsure what the Air Force or Marine equivalent is, but for the Coast Guard this is remarks from someone of a higher rank that go on your personal file. They can either be positive or negative, however most of the time when used as everyday jargon, it's referred to in the negative aspect.**

**[2] VA Veterans Affairs**

**[3] GED General Education Degree**

**[4] ROTC Reserve Officer Training Corps**

**[5] PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder**

**[6] KP Kitchen Patrol.***

**[7] CO Commanding Officer**

**[8] Reference to Stargate Ep 9x1 Cameron saying to Walter: "It doesn't look like we're getting the band back together." **

**Other notes:**

*****Funny Note about all the military style initialization: While writing this I was reminded of one of my favorite lines from the movie "Good Morning, Vietnam!" In which, Robin William's character is making fun of all the letters: "Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the VP is such a VIP, shouldn't we keep the PC on the QT? 'Cause if it leaks to the VC he could end up MIA, and then we'd all be put on KP."

Anyhoo- now that THAT little random squirrel has run it's course (straight out into the street, with an oncoming car), I have found my muse returning for Lord of Beasts...unfortunately it is trying to take a very odd turn that I am resisting going down, so there should be a chapter before beginning of next week on that one.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! Please take a moment to leave a comment. Thanks!


	5. Part 1: Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

For the first thirty minutes in the rented car, Percival sat in the backseat with a white-knuckled grip on the door handles. His face was a very pale shade of green. The young man had never known of anything to move so quickly. He felt mildly claustrophobic when he first sat down. His eyes were wide and breath was shaking. The large silver piece of box metal, although fascinating to look at, was rather akin to some demonic beast, with its glowing eyes and loud noises.

He wondered if Gwaine knew about these things. It was odd to think, that after knowing the man for five years, he would know so little about him. Then there was Merlin...another person whom Percival thought he knew, but obviously didn't. However, he realized that these were the same men with whom he'd fought alongside for years. He had never told them much about his past either, although it wasn't as elaborate or secretive as theirs. Personal history was just something a man didn't consider on the battlefield. Their lives were about living in the moment. Gwaine taught him that, were he to be honest with himself.

Percival couldn't find room in his heart to blame them for their secrets. Either one of them would have found himself swinging from the gallows, had he been revealed...or, at best case scenario, would have been simply banished by Arthur.

Reluctantly, the large knight had folded himself into the automobile, after an explanation by Merlin about how it was similar to the metal barding on a tax collection carriage...just minus the actual horses pulling it. Martha sat behind the steering wheel, navigating deftly through the stop-and-go of evening rush hour traffic. Merlin sat in the passenger seat, half-facing back, ready to help calm Percival with magic, if needed.

Merlin, at first, tried talking to Percival in an effort to distract him from the overwhelming sights, sounds and smells of the new world. He soon gave up, and settled for just hoping they would make it through the drive without any major incidents. After realizing how much strain modern society was putting on his old friend, Merlin had cancelled their reservations at the hotel. Instead of a decent room, close to the Base, he redirected his search for a vacation cabin, higher in the hills of the Rocky Mountains. He finally found one about an hour's drive outside of the Springs.

It was a cabin, a little way off the beaten path, and set in the middle of about four acres. It was a perfectly quiet place for the Dark Ages knight to have a breather and get his bearings. Once they pulled off the main highway and began their ascent into the mountains, Percival finally loosened his grip.

Merlin glanced at the armrests on the doors of the car. The inside door handles were marked with very large finger-sized holes. "Hey, Love, you did get that extra insurance, right?" He asked Martha, jokingly.

The large knight looked ashamed as he noticed the damage he had caused. "Merlin, I'm sorry..."

Merlin chuckled, "Don't worry about it. That is actually an easy fix. I'll get to it before we return the car."

Percival smiled his appreciation and drew a massive breath through his nose, and blew it out through his mouth, finally starting to relax. He looked out the windows at the world speeding by. "This is smoother than riding in a carriage."

"Much quicker, too." Merlin breathed a sigh of relief as his friend began to actually watch the world through the windows.

The colored lights were the most fascinating for the knight. They looked like sparks of fire on the cars ahead. Sometimes they were an orange color, and flashed in a steady beat that a man could march to. "They have torches inside there?" He asked.

It took Merlin a moment to understand what Percival was asking. He shook his head and laughed, "No, those are called 'tail lights' and well…they're a visual indicator, Percival."

Percival gave Merlin a blank stare. He could see that they were indicating something. By the manner in which the vehicles slowed, or turned, after the lights came on, it was easy to guess what that might be.

"They're like...you remember how wagon drivers would call out a warning when they're on the road and feeling polite?"

Percival's blue eyes shifted from Merlin to the reflective surface of the rearview mirror. He caught the glint of humor in Martha's eyes as she let Merlin ramble.

"Well, this is a signal to let you know that the car in front is slowing down and stopping, and that you should prepare to do the same. Unless you want to flatten them, but we call that road rage, and it's rather frowned upon."

"Which is why I am driving...and not you, darling," Martha said softly.

"Ha! I don't get road rage."

"Oh! So says the man who threatened to start cursing people with raining toads, or unexpected blow-outs, in that major traffic jam last year."

"But I didn't, did I?"

She laughed, "You started to! Yelling out in Old English, and such. How was I supposed to know if you were cursing at people, or actually _cursing_ them?"

"Nothing happened to any one of them." Merlin stated defensively.

"Only because your cell rang, and distracted you."

Percival bit the insides of his cheeks to keep from bursting with laughter, when Merlin crossed his arms and began to pout. For all the changes, it was reassuring to see the same goofy posture and facial expressions on the dark haired man.

"But how do they light up?" The knight asked again after a few minutes, when he thought it was safe. "Are there fireflies in there, or is it magic?"

"Not magic, Percival. Things have...evolved since our time. When the driver hits the break, a signal is sent to the light to turn on in the back."

"There is a reason Arthur throws things at you." Percival muttered, not realizing until after he said the words that his mind had yet to accept that the king was gone.

Merlin didn't appear to have heard him, but the way Martha's expression changed, he knew that she had and was trying not to laugh.

"Oh bloody hell…how about I just find you a book on mechanics and electricity. It'll probably explain it a lot better than I will."

Martha patted her fiancé's knee. "It's alright, love. It is rather hard to explain it all, Percival, especially for those of us who live with it every day. You see, there are people who have been inventing all sorts of things for generations. What was once a torch, was turned into something called a lantern that uses liquid, like alcohol, to burn in a very small area covered with glass...like a protected candle...but then, someone else came up with another idea…

"Okay, so, you know when a blacksmith heats the metal and it begins to glow, yeah?" Martha said, while she drove.

"Yes." Percival nodded.

"Well, there was this one bloke who took a tiny piece of metal and used a different type of fuel to heat it up, so it would glow. Then he stuck it in a glass jar. He realized if he looped it around and around, then he could make the glow even brighter. There's a fuel used in the cars that sort of...heats up the metal through tiny tube-like things, called wires...and those wires take that heat to the metal in the glass jars...they now call light bulbs, because of their shape. When I push down on the pedal, like so..."

Percival was completely enthralled with her story telling. He leaned forward so he could look over the seat at the pedal she was indicating.

"It's kind of like the bellows on a forge. It causes the electricity, or heat, to move very quickly through the wires and makes the metal inside the bulb glow brighter. See?" She smiled and glanced back at the knight.

Percival's face was lit up with comprehension. He clapped Merlin roughly on the shoulder. "Why couldn't you have just said that in the first place?"

Merlin pursed his lips, and shook his head. "That's why I plan on marrying this woman. She's bloody brilliant."

The blond knight ran a hand over his short hair and began directing more questions towards Martha.

Merlin sat back and listened, just as fascinated by her explanations, as his friend was. He wondered how he would have handled going from the Dark Ages to modern day, if he hadn't lived through the changes. He knew, from his own experience, that the analogies she gave Percival were rather inaccurate, but they worked for the large man's comprehension...and right now, that was all that mattered.

The stopped off at a local grocery store on the way to their destination. While Percival was indeed fascinated by the idea of the indoor market concept, he chose to stay in the car with Martha, while his friend went inside to grab some supplies for their stay in the wilderness.

Once Merlin was gone, the large man turned to Martha. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah." She looked at him, slightly confused, "Why do you ask?"

"He just seems so different...from how he used to be," Percival stated softly.

"Well, a lot of time has passed for him."

"I suppose. I guess I don't really understand that part of it, yet." He stared at his hands for a moment, before looking out the window. "It really was less than a fortnight ago that I saw him, but he barely seems to remember anything about me, or Gwaine. How is that possible?"

Martha offered him a comforting smile. "Time is kind of like a string. Most of the time, it is laid out straight and our lives can be marked, going from one end to the other. Sometimes, though, the string loops around on itself, so two parts are overlapping." She thought for a moment, before hopping out of the car. "I'll be right back."

When she returned, she had with her a small sewing kit. Martha pulled out a few different colors of thread.

"How does string explain what happened to Gwaine, and myself?" Percival asked.

"Okay, so we'll use red for Gwaine's life, yellow for yours, and blue for Merlin's. So Gwaine started out here, and because of the Stargate, he was sent back in time, when he met you and Merlin." She demonstrated by laying the blue and yellow together on the passenger seat. Martha then took the red one and tied it to the blue and yellow. "The knot here is to represent when you guys met. Now, you travelled together for a while before everything happened."

The three strings laid together, and she added another knot in them a few inches from the first. Then she separated the blue string from the other two. "You and Gwaine were brought back through the Stargate to this time and place, while Merlin stayed in the sixth century." Martha picked up the blue thread, still attached to the spool and began looping it over different things around the car. She handed the spool to Percival and instructed him to wrap it around the headrests behind him, before handing it back to her.

He did as she asked, wondering where she was going with 'Merlin's thread'. Handing it back to her, he waited patiently; watching, as she finally brought it back and tied it with the other two colors. She held all the three strings together near the knot where Merlin's thread originally separated from his and Gwaine's. "Now, this is how Merlin's life has gone, compared to yours."

Martha witnessed the dawning realization that spread over the large man's face. While his thread, and Gwaine's were short and tied together. The blue one was so long. "How does he keep it from tangling?"

"He hasn't always, but he's doing the best he can," she shrugged. Even after a year of travelling through space and time, she felt her own life had tangled a bit along the way. "I think most would become complete nutters, if they had to live through so much." Her voice was soft and thoughtful, as her dark brown eyes followed the string. It was something she already knew about, but laying it out for Percival's comprehension, gave her a completely new appreciation for the man she was soon going to marry.

The car door opened, and Merlin dropped a few bags onto the car floor. "I swear these Yanks are going to drive me bonkers with their rudeness. Why the hell can't I just have a civil conversation with a checker about the roads ahead, without some bloody impatient prat trying to make a point of how his time is so much more valuable than mine? I nearly gave him a piece of my mind about 'time.'" He sat down in the car and he found himself caught up in a mess of string. "What the hell?"

Martha and Percival shared a glance and started to laugh.

(*~*~*~*)

"Try it," Merlin encouraged, handing his friend a can of beer. The sun had just set over the Rockies, and they sat on the front porch of the rented cabin, enjoying the peaceful evening.

It was much drier in this place than anywhere else Percival had been. The cicadas and crickets called out to the coming night; the air sharp with the smell of pine sap. He could still vaguely catch a hint of what Merlin called smog, but it was much fainter here in the forest. Martha was inside, preparing supper for the three of them, allowing the two men to have some quiet time on the porch.

"I don't drink much myself, but I've had more this week than I had all year...and that totals a whole three of them." Merlin admitted, after he popped open the tab on his can. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have even thought much about drinking. It was the one true giveaway that he was stressed about the situation. "I figure, I had best start building up my tolerance with Gwaine around."

Percival snickered, "Tastes a bit better than Evoric's swill."

Merlin made a face before the name finally clicked. "The Rising Sun...right. I wouldn't even be able to tell you the difference, nowadays."

"I know. Martha explained it to me. You've got a very nice lady for yourself there."

The dark-haired man smiled, "Yeah, I do."

"We used to worry about you. I don't think I remember ever seeing you even take an interest in a girl back home...and there were a few interested in you."

Merlin laughed, "Well, I was always too busy slaving away for Arthur, if I remember." He inhaled sharply, remembering something. "There was one girl, though. My first love...blimey, I can't even remember her name now. She was killed. Wow, why can't I remember her name?"

"Because, it's been a very long time."

"Yes, it has." He took a drink out of his can and levelled his gaze on Percival. "What do you mean you used to worry about me?"

"Myself, Arthur...Gwaine especially. You never shut up, but never said anything at the same time. Never saw you with a girl, though now that I know your first love died, I suppose I can understand that. Why didn't you ever tell any of us about her?" The knight asked, unwilling to let the matter drop.

Merlin shrugged, "Probably, because she was cursed. I have seen her spirit, from time to time, since then. Just glimpses in still pools of water, things like that. Magic was involved and...well, we lived in Camelot."

"You had magic the whole time?"

Merlin's eyes met Percival's. "Yes, I did."

"That can't have been easy," the big man said. He still felt rather uncertain about the idea of magic. It had only been a few days since Morgana used hers on Gwaine. He took a serious look at Merlin and thought back over Gwaine's words. All the years, with Merlin at their side...it had to be true. He could never see Merlin as evil. "Did Arthur ever find out?"

"Only at the end."

Percival finished off his beer, which he thought was much better than the coffee substance, and set the can down on the deck. "What happened to him...after Camlann?" At the Base, he and Gwaine had already told their side of the story to Merlin, but now the knight was ready to hear Merlin's.

The warlock thought briefly about waiting to tell them together, but he figured Gwaine might have already guessed the outcome, if he knew anything about the legends. "I...uh...wasn't able to save him." He swirled his can between his knees, his elbows resting on his legs. "I tried, but it wasn't meant to be..."

Merlin told his friend everything he could remember, surprising even himself, with how easily the memories flowed. He figured that his subconscious must have understood that the information was now relevant, and was allowing him to access the nearly forgotten past. He talked about Gwen, and the baby, although he couldn't recall the name of Arthur's son. "I've tried looking in every book I could find, and there are three or four names listed as Arthur's sons, but each one seems wrong."

"A few hours ago, I think I would have been upset to know you couldn't remember something like that."

"And now?"

"Now, I think you're lucky to not be completely insane with it all." Percival finally asked, "What happened to the queen, and her son?"

"Sickness…a plague swept through the land. Gaius was among the first to fall victim."

"I see." The knight understood, without Merlin actually saying, what had befallen Guinevere and the child. He sat in silence. Although he was the king, Arthur was a warrior, first and foremost. The wound he took at Camlann was almost expected, and Percival had already come to terms back in Camelot, that the king might never return. The unexpected loss of the queen, hit him hard. Had Merlin told him of a glorious life she'd led after Arthur's passing, reigning over the kingdom; he could have accepted it easier. "Everyone's gone, aren't they? The people from Camelot...except for you, me, and Gwaine."

Merlin nodded, "Yes, long ago."

"Do you think we can use that Stargate thing to go back?"

The warlock contemplated for a few minutes. "I don't think so. Martha could probably tell you why..." he chuckled, "...obviously much better than I ever could."

Percival smiled sadly.

"I wouldn't want to go back," Merlin finally admitted. Upon the questioning look from Percival, he continued, "I don't think I could live through all that again, without becoming seriously jaded. Plus, I would miss what I have here…like Martha, and now you and Gwaine."

"Lancelot knew, didn't he? ...About your magic."

Merlin nodded slowly. A vision of the black-haired knight came into his mind. "Hmm..." he said, more to himself, than to Percival. "I can actually remember him rather clearly." The warlock was surprised by this revelation...and it was obvious in his voice.

"I wonder why that is? Can you remember Arthur in the same way?"

Shaking his head, Merlin sighed, "Not as well. Huh...weird."

The front door opened and Martha appeared with a phone in her hand. "It's Gwaine, calling from the Base," she stated, passing Merlin the cell phone.

"What do you want?" Merlin said into the phone, with a cheeky grin. He stood, and walked to the opposite end of the long porch that ran the entire width of the front of the cabin.

Martha sat down in the seat he vacated and smiled at the knight. "How are you holding up?"

The large man shrugged, "Well enough, I suppose. Merlin doesn't think I'd ever be able to go back home."

"No...I mean, you could, theoretically, but you wouldn't be able to be a part of the life you used to live...or he would have remembered you. Merlin's lifetime seems to be an odd 'fixed point,' as a friend of mine...the one who taught me about time travel, would have said. I have another friend, Jack, who has similar issues. I've introduced them, but Merlin isn't too fond of him."

"So, I'm stuck here."

She reached over and patted his knee. "Yeah, I'm sorry."

Merlin came back to them and slumped down on the floor, his back against the porch rails. "Well, it seems, because he can now wiggle his toes, Dr. Lam wants to start the paperwork to transfer him to a local hospital, for rehab and a full psych eval. They're planning to move him tomorrow. So, we won't be able to see him again until the evening."

The large knight blinked in confusion. He looked immediately to Martha for an explanation.

"That's a good thing." She turned to Percival, after Merlin nodded. "That gives you most of the day tomorrow to just relax. Now, come along, both of you. Supper is almost ready."

(*~*~*~*)

Percival woke with a start. Sweat covered his brow. His muscles were tense, and his breathing ragged. He could still hear Gwaine's scream, ringing in his ears. It took a few moments for him to realize that he wasn't in the forest, tied by his wrists to the trees. He was in this new world, where the sights, sounds, and smells were overwhelming. Gwaine was in the mountain military base, being taken care of by the Lady Doctor…alive and safe from Morgana and her ilk.

Merlin had killed Morgana, with Arthur's sword. That was what his friend had told him the previous evening, when Percival asked about the king. It was over. The war with the witch...was over, and Arthur had barely lived to see that happen. Percival felt like he wanted to curl into a ball, and do nothing more than mourn the people who had been lost. It was as if he were reliving the deaths of his family, all over again, because those people...the knights and the king...they were his family.

Taking a deep breath, he decided: he wouldn't succumb to depression. He would grieve for them all, but Percival took heart in the idea that if Merlin could survive through it all…and more, then so would he.

Swinging his legs off the bed, he quietly padded up to the door. At the Base, they had acquainted him with many of the basics about living in this new century. Despite what Gwaine believed, Percival was actually rather impressed by the idea of indoor plumbing. The shower especially, was something the large man really enjoyed. He figured that the magically...'No, it wasn't magic,' he corrected himself. 'The mechanically-made hot water,' would do him good.

He opened the door and heard voices. He paused. There was only one actual bedroom in the cabin. His chivalrous nature tried to convince Martha to take the more private space for herself, but she wouldn't hear of it. Instead, Martha insisted that he take it. She and Merlin could sleep on the 'pull-out' bed that unfolded from the sofa. Percival was a little uneasy that the couple wasn't married yet, but the two didn't seem to recognize any issues with it, so he let it slide.

"You're so tense," he heard Martha comment.

"It's been a stressful day. A lot of old memories have been resurfacing for me lately, and now with Gwaine and Percival here...I'm concerned about what might be ahead of us."

"Things happen for a reason. Wouldn't you rather have them by your side if something does come about?"

"Mmm-hmm. My concern is, with the world the way it is now, has the definition of Albion changed? It was once just the island and the kingdoms upon it. Now, though, I wonder if the term was meant to be more philosophical, than literal."

"As in, if it had been just the world known to you at the time; but since you know the world to be so much greater now...then could it be more?"

"Yeah...'When Albion's need is greatest, Arthur will rise again,' is what Kilgharrah told me. Those words have been etched on my soul for far too long."

"What do you think it means then?" Martha asked. Even without seeing her face, Percival could hear the concern in her voice.

"I wish I knew. I have so many theories. Hell, all I have are theories and hypothesise, and not a sodden one of them makes me feel any better about it all. What if he does come back? What threat is going to be so huge that the one and only, great King Arthur is needed? Is he going to be brought back reborn? Has he already been born? Will he randomly appear on the shores of Avalon? Or now, I wonder…and this is a good one…if he actually had been abducted by aliens, moments after his death, and revived! King Arthur and 'The King', living together on the same stinking planet, far off in the galaxy."

"Stop it." Martha said sharply. Percival could imagine her giving Merlin an annoyed look. "You're doing no one any good by stressing about it. If it's all part of this destiny, then, as with your friends today, it'll just happen...and you'll be in the right place, at the right time."

"I know." Merlin changed tack. "So, are you ever going to tell me how you knew that Gwaine and Percival would be here?"

The knight knew it was wrong to continue to eavesdrop, but he was curious about how Martha knew to send Merlin to them, as well.

"When I was travelling with the Doctor, we ended up back there at one point: in Camelot. Oh, don't look at me like that, I figured you had probably already guessed at some point."

There was a softly muttered curse that Percival couldn't quite decipher.

"Well, the first time, we missed the mark...which, if you ever meet the Doctor, is actually quite common. We ended up in the forest, a few kilometers out. The Doctor did a scan and realized there was something wrong. Don't ask me how he knew these things, but he always did."

"Hey, don't start that now," Martha warned. Percival figured that Merlin must have made some facial expression to annoy her.

"I can't help it. I'm still a bit rankled over the fact you left me, after our third date, for a man six hundred years younger."

Suddenly, Merlin yelped.

"I came back to you, didn't I?" She snipped.

The knight snickered into his hand. A moment of silence passed before Merlin's voice came again.

"Oy, Percival! I know you're there. If you're going to eavesdrop, you may as well just get in here and join us."

He felt his face flush with guilt when he appeared around the door frame. "Sorry, I didn't mean to listen in."

Merlin was leaning back against Martha, who was reclining on the back of the expanded hide-a-bed. She had her arms wrapped around Merlin from behind, and smiled at Percival when he entered.

"What were you saying about you being in Camelot?" Merlin asked.

"The Doctor picked up on some odd technology that didn't belong. He found a radio signal linking to something from this time period, but it was faint. So he used his sonic screwdriver to boost the signal, so he could follow it. Apparently, the SG team arrived around the same time, and were able to follow the transmission to find Percival and Gwaine.

"I heard Gwaine scream. I wanted to go to him...to help, you know...but the Doctor held me back. We let the SG team take care of you two, and we headed back to the TARDIS."

"I don't understand how, but if you and this Doctor helped to save Gwaine. I am in your debt." Percival bowed his head towards Martha.

"But that doesn't explain how you knew about me," Merlin said. He refused to let her weasel out of the story so easily.

"Well, we got back to the TARDIS and we were planning on just a short hop over to Camelot. But he got the time wrong, and when we arrived, it was almost a week later. We watched from the back of the room as the queen was crowned. Oy! The human rights activists would have a field day, if they only knew that Camelot had a black queen."

Percival glanced at Martha, not understanding what she was talking about. "What do you mean, 'black'? She had a kind heart and a pure spirit."

"It's a reference to the tone of a person's skin...kind of like mine." Martha explained, simply.

"I knew something was wrong with all those pictures of Gwen, but I could never seem to figure out what it was." Merlin snickered, "Oh, she would be so mad at me, if she ever found out I forgot what she looked like."

"She would probably just give you a very stern look, and then have Arthur throw you in the stocks." The knight told Merlin.

"...which he would have...gladly."

(*~*~*~*)

Early the next morning, Gwaine was roused and prepped for his ride to one of the hospitals, on a nearby base. The noise and smells of the city outside was comforting and yet foreign. He felt a conflict inside himself...a complete loss of identity that he hadn't felt for years.

Arthur was gone. He knew that, without needing Merlin to tell him. Gwaine wasn't sure if he wanted to know the details. He felt that whatever the outcome, he was at least partially responsible for it.

The man driving the ambulance turned on the radio, and Gwaine listened as the music softly filled the interior. It had all felt like a surreal dream until that point. Hearing the voice of the singer, reality seemed to finally click in his mind. He realized he was no longer Sir Gwaine of Camelot, nor would he probably ever be again. However, with three of his best friends of any time period with him, he didn't mind as much as he thought he would. There was a long road ahead of him to merge the man he used to be, and the man he had become...

_"Somebody help me get out of Louisiana_

_Just to help me get to Houston Town_

_There are people there who care a little about me_

_And they won't let the poor boy down_

_"Sure as she bore me, she bought me a silk suit_

_Put luggage in my hand_

_And I woke up high over Alburquerque_

_On a jet to the promised land."*_

* * *

_***Song: Promised Land by Elvis Presley.**_

_**"Elvis ain't dead, Slick. He just went home." K to J from Men in Black.**_

_***ahem* So I won't go into a lot of details but there is an idea of Merlin being an Elvis impersonator floating around...at a contest in Vegas...at the Excalibur...with a reluctant judge named Arthur. It somehow involved crossdressing(?) and Merthur...**_

_**And that is just the TAME version of events that include a MiB crossover and somehow interweaving the plots to Ocean's 11 and/or 3000 Miles to Graceland... oh and Bruce Campbell remaking Bubba Hotep. ANYHOO, this has now set the bar on a new scale of measurement in the HoC chat known as the MEct scale (Merlin/Elvis crossover threshold) for weirdness in crackfic ideas...that yours truly can come up with. (the MEct scale name was created by Caldera32...who only named the train wreck but did nothing to stop it ;) )**_

_**Shout out to DreamZ (Dreamsweetmydear) for playing the role of Merlin for me in this part! Most of Merlin's..."light bulb" moment/explanation came from a chat at HoC with her. You rock!**_

_**And to IcarusLSU for pre-reading. And of course to Nance the polishing puffin of proofing...who is even trying to edit my rambled Author's Notes hehe**_

_**Thank you all so much for the reviews on this story! Next chapter is definitely more Gwaine centered.**_


	6. Part 1: Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

He gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain that had begun to appear in his lower limbs, since Merlin's spell. It was bittersweet. He was grateful to be able to have sensation return, but the pain was utter hell. The doctors put him through a set of evaluations to set up his physical therapy regimen. He laughed to himself, when he heard one of the therapists refer to a piece of equipment as a medieval torture device. 'If they only knew...' he thought cynically.

Afterwards, they tried to encourage him to take some painkillers, but after seven years of only taking herbal concoctions, he stubbornly held out against the modern equivalents.

The last nurse left, after unsuccessfully trying, once again, to get him to agree to some pain management. Gwaine closed his eyes and laid back on his bed. His room was a private one, for which he was thankful. A long window faced the west, and the room was high enough that he could see the Rockies in the distance.

On the lower horizon, the muted colors and reflective glass surfaces of the city bled into the greens and browns of the forested foothills. foothills. Moving upwards, they blended into darker shadows of blue as they transitioned to the actual mountains climbing towards the sky. At around the twelve-thousand foot level, the trees began to thin out. Five-hundred feet higher, and they were gone altogether.

From his room, he could see where the blues of the forest ceased abruptly and gave way to a mixture of gray stone and white frost, in an area known as timberline. Close to another two-thousand feet beyond that, was the nearly year-round snow-capped summit of one of Colorado's "14ers"[1]. Pikes Peak stood strong and tall.

Gwaine had hiked it, quite often, years ago. He could almost remember the taste of the crisp, thin air, as it burned and stole the oxygen from his lungs. White puffs of steam would escape his mouth with each breath. On a clear day, a man could see all the way to Kansas and Oklahoma from that height.

He had a brief thought. He wondered if Percival had ever experienced the joys of altitude sickness. 'Probably not,' Gwaine thought, as the highest point in the British Isles barely topped four-thousand feet. He was sure he was going to have some fun torturing his friend. He planned to take the large man on a ride up the Cog Railway, since it would be unlikely that Gwaine could hike up Pikes Peak on foot anytime in the foreseeable future.

He didn't realize he had fallen asleep, until he heard the door of his room open.

"Sheesh! You haven't gotten your lazy ass out of that bed yet, Dallon?" Cameron's voice dripped with sarcasm.

He thought about telling his buddy where he could shove the hospital bed, while he yawned...but he refrained, "How're you today, Cameron?"

"Oh, you know, still waiting for you to say 'yes', and agree to be on my team when you get upright again."

"No luck with the others, I gather?" As much as he enjoyed bantering with his longtime friend, Gwaine hoped the visit would be short.

"Nope. Still waiting to hear back from Carter. I was supposed to start going through personnel files today, but then I got the weirdest call, and had to go pick up a couple of people from the airport."

Gwaine gave the other man a tired look. "I'm really not feeling up to hearing your life story today."

"Well, actually, the people I picked up, are part of your life." Cameron went to open the door. Waiting anxiously behind it were two people, who, just weeks ago, Gwaine had resigned himself to never seeing again.

A woman, a few years older than Gwaine, with the same chestnut hair and dark brown eyes, pushed her way in.

"Laney?" Gwaine gasped, realizing it was his sister.

"Where the hell have you been?" She said with a raised voice. She came up to him and punched his shoulder.

Gwaine winced and his sister immediately looked ashamed. "Oh my god, I'm sorry. They told us you were found injured, I didn't mean to..."

Chuckling through his discomfort, he put his hands on hers to stop her rambling. "It's alright. I'm going to be fine." He found himself suddenly smothered by a hug.

"Elaine, quit babying him." A gruff old voice said sternly.

Gwaine looked up to see his grandfather, waiting patiently at the foot of the bed. His eyes shifted back and forth between his sister and Pops. "You two...in the same room together?"

"Yeah. Well, someone had to come take care of him after his first heart attack, when we got word you were MIA."

"Heart attack?" Gwaine felt a heavy guilt settle on him. He tried to push himself more upright in the bed.

"I'm fine, now." Pops said, brushing off his grandson's concern.

Gwaine took a moment to look at the man he grew up with. Boyd Dallon was over eighty years old by now. Gwaine had never known his grandfather's exact age. His hair was fully white, and much thinner than Gwaine remembered. The old man who used to stand straight and strong, was now hunched over and carried a sadness to him that the knight had never expected to see. He was dressed in much the same as Gwaine remembered: a button-down plaid shirt with rolled up sleeves, faded jeans, and a worn-out out Stetson clutched in his hands. Glancing down at Pops' feet, Gwaine was surprised to see the orthopedic shoes in place of old, beat-up Justin boots.

"I'm sorry, Pops...I didn't mean to..." Gwaine felt his eyes beginning to sting. The lack of a full night's sleep, increased amount of physical pain, and the mental anguish of the past couple of weeks began to hit him. Seeing his grandfather appearing so much older than he remembered, and feeling it was his own fault for being gone so many years, was extremely difficult. He inhaled sharply and turned towards the window, away from the three people in his room.

He turned back when he felt a trembling hand squeezing his shoulder. His grandfather's rheumy eyes blinked at him from the bedside, and Gwaine lost his thin hold over his emotions. The two men embraced. All of Gwaine's pain coming out in a pool of tears, on the shoulder of the man who meant more than anything to him.

Gwaine didn't see Cameron quietly tap Laney on the shoulder and motion towards the door. She looked over at the two men and understood. She was never as close to their grandfather as Gwaine had been. Laney allowed Cameron guide her out into the hallway, leaving them alone.

"What happened to him?" She asked the colonel after the door closed.

Cameron looked down for a moment before meeting her eyes. "It's classified."

"Bull shit! He's my brother, I have a right to know."

"No, Laney, you don't." He stated firmly. "I can tell you, the mission he was on went south due to a technical malfunction. He was MIA...and a held hostage, for a time. He's back now, and everything will be fine."

Her arms crossed defensively in front of her, and she gave him a measured glare. "Until you, or someone else, drags him back into it all. What the hell am I supposed to do about Boyd? I can't keep taking care of him!"

"Is that what this is about? Who's going to take care of your grandfather?"

The brunette woman suddenly looked ashamed. "No...I just know it'll kill the old man if anything else happens to Gwaine, and I don't want to bury him alone."

Cameron nodded and let the subject be. He began walking down the hall. "How many rug rats you got now?"

"Three boys."Laney replied, thankful for the brief change in topic, so she could rein in her emotions. "The oldest is almost a teenager, and all but my youngest absolutely hate living in Wyoming, but the old man refuses to leave the ranch."

"What about that guy you married?" He asked.

She chuckled sourly. "He claims Boyd drove him off, but the asshole was just looking for an excuse not to be a father anymore."

"Ouch." The Air Force Colonel was feeling sorry that he had asked.

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Don't they have a good razor in this place?" Boyd asked, finally pulling back from his grandson.

Gwaine flipped his hair out of his eyes and chuckled, while wiping his face. "I kind of like the longer hair."

"Yeah, you always were a rebel." The old man looked around the room and spied a chair nearby.

Gwaine noticed, and at first he automatically tried to move to assist, but a jolt of pain had him pinned to the bed with a hiss. "Let me call a nurse and have 'em move a chair closer to the bed for you." Gwaine offered, as the pain slowly subsided back to a numbing ache. He was seriously rethinking the wisdom of his choice with Merlin the night before. Making a mental note to himself, he decided to speak with his friend about it later.

"No, no...I got it. No need to bother anyone else for something as simple as moving a chair. Hell, I ain't even able to move around my own house anymore without that sister of yours nagging at me." Boyd finally managed to slide the chair across the floor. He sat down in it, clearly out of breath. Gwaine watched him in silence. "Well, aren't we just a couple of coffee boilers, sitting here and doin' nothing."

The younger man chuckled.

"I don't suppose...you could tell me what happened to ya?"

Gwaine shook his head. "I Wish I could, Pops."

"Well, you just cowboy up, and you'll be back to the grind in no time. Did I ever tell you about that time I was shot behind enemy lines?"

"Yes, you did." Gwaine smiled, "but you know I wouldn't mind hearing the story again."

**(*~*~*~*)**

By the time Laney arrived back to the room, she found her grandfather sound asleep in a reclining chair next to the window. Cameron popped his head in and waved goodbye to Gwaine, then went on his way. Laney sat gently on the edge of the bed, near her brother's legs. "You should probably take a page out of Boyd's book there."

"Why can't you just call him 'Pops', or grandpa...or something, Laney. You're always doing whatever you can to get under his skin."

Elaine looked at her brother. "Because I've always called him 'Boyd'. There's nothing wrong with it. I was practically a teenager already when we first met him. Our whole lives uprooted after mom died, taken to a foreign country..."

"It's not his fault!"

"I didn't say it was. Sheesh! You two are always so defensive of each other!" She shifted and put her hand on her brother's leg. Laney immediately removed it when she saw him grimace and ball his fists in the bed sheets. "Have you taken anything for the pain?"

Gwaine shook his head and tried to relax. He could never remember a time when he'd been in so much pain. He wondered if this was close to what Elyan suffered from the nathair, or if this was more a combination of everything that happened.

"You should. Why do you always have to be so stubborn?"

"Laney, you have no idea what I have been through."

"No, I don't. According to your buddy, Cam, it's doubtful I ever will." They lapsed into silence for a bit. "Can you tell me anything?"

"No...even if I could, there's some things I'm not sure I'd want to talk about."

Elaine sighed heavily. "How long do they think it'll take...for you to get up and moving?"

"They don't even know what's wrong with me."

Laney bit her tongue and studied him for a moment. "But you do...and you're not telling them." She guessed, from the look on his face. She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes.

"The meds they try to give me cloud my mind." He said, sidestepping the conversation. There was no way he'd be able to explain to his sister about magic, or the creatures straight out of some horror movie, without her thinking he was completely insane.

"But you're safe here Gwaine, can't you see that?" He didn't respond. "Fine, be a stubborn jackass, if you want. I'm going to go get something to eat. We were on a plane before daybreak, and the 'snack bags' just don't cut it anymore. You want anything?"

He shook his head. Before she could reach the door, it opened, and a large man, with a bright smile came in. She noticed her brother's eyes light up when he spotted the big man.

"Percival!"

"Hello, Gwaine."

Laney thought it odd the way they clasped forearms as a greeting, instead of a handshake. Right now, however, there were quite a few oddities surrounding her brother; a thick British accent, which she had noticed but didn't mention, being another. Two other people came in behind the blond man. The first was a lady with dark skin tone, and had a confident, yet friendly manner, about her. The next was a man, probably near her brother's age, with black hair and blue eyes that appeared far too old for his face.

"Merlin!" Her brother called out with a tired smile.

Laney stopped and crossed her arms. "Percival, Merlin, and Gwaine...bad accent, old fashioned handshakes...what the hell? Were you kidnapped by the SCA* for some Round Table Re-enactment Troupe? ...Forced to joust at the local Renaissance Festival, or be drawn and quartered?"

Gwaine blinked and licked his lips nervously, which wasn't the reaction she had expected.

Merlin came to the rescue. He gave a cheeky grin that stretched from ear to ear. "Actually, that is a bloody good cover story. We should offer that to your CO."

Gwaine rolled his eyes at Merlin in a way that seemed almost too natural.

Percival handed his friend an empty plastic cup that was sitting next to the bed. "You can throw it at him, if you want. It actually does help."

It took Gwaine a moment to comprehend what the large man was referring to. When it dawned on him, he chuckled, took the proffered item and chucked it at Merlin.

Successfully ducking the projectile, Merlin turned to Laney as if such an occurrence was normal. He held out his hand and flashed her a brilliant smile. "Colonel Merl Emrys, and you are?"

"Elaine Dallon."

"Dallon?" Gwaine asked from the bed. "What happened to being Mrs. Phillips?"

Laney rolled her eyes. "Well, when he decided to run off with a nineteen year old bleached blond, I decided to divorce him."

"Oh..." Gwaine wasn't certain how to respond to that. "How's...Toby taking it?"

"Well, there isn't just Toby anymore. There're Toby, Greg, and Randy now, and they are handling it...well, they're just handling it." She put out her hands to indicate it wasn't a subject she wanted to address at the moment.

Gwaine nodded in understanding. "Are they here?"

"No, we left them with friends from school. I didn't know how bad you were, or how long we were going to be." She explained.

"Mmm...that's too bad. I can't wait to meet them."

His sister actually smiled pleasantly. "They can't wait to meet their uncle, too. Now, I really need something to eat. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

He grinned slyly and shrugged, "Bud? Coors?"

"Fat Tire?" Laney smirked, and he nodded enthusiastically. His smile widened at the thought of getting to drink one of his favorite beers. "Why not, it's not like alcohol is going to interfere with any medications." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Laney, I want to apologize for telling everyone over the years, you were an 'old toad.'" Gwaine offered his sister a sincere smile.

She picked up the discarded plastic cup that laid on the floor, and threw it at him. The others started to laugh loudly, but were interrupted by an earsplitting snore from the recliner. Laney shook her head and looked at her grandfather. "Ha! World War Three could be going on, and that man would still sleep through it." She pulled open the door and walked out.

Martha's eyebrow rose in curiosity, and she moved over to the foot of the bed. She pulled out the clipboard with Gwaine's chart and began to review it. The doctor in her noted different aspects of what was written. She began asking Gwaine questions about his levels of pain and movement. Her face gave away nothing, as she processed the information.

"Well?" Gwaine asked, curious about his condition.

"I need to go look up a few things, and do some research, but I think it's a good start." She smiled encouragingly. "I'm going to get some tea. Care to join me?" Martha asked her fiancé.

Merlin nodded and headed towards the door.

"Subtle!" Gwaine called out behind them. He shook his head and turned back to Percival, who chuckled.

**(*~*~*~*)**

She saw the colonel and the woman in the hallway. They were sitting in the seats just outside of her brother's room, and appeared to be in a deep discussion. The woman's back was towards her, and the man was facing forward on the other side of her.

Laney ducked into a nearby doorway to listen. Their accents were thick, and she wondered why her brother, who had supposedly been held as a prisoner of war, would be receiving visits from people like them. The 'Colonel' especially was an enigma. He appeared far too young for the rank he held...except for his eyes. Even when he joked about the cover story, Laney could see there was so much hidden in their blue depths.

"...I don't understand, Martha. What I did, should have worked better than it appears to have. He shouldn't be in so much pain." The colonel told his companion, which made Laney wonder if he was a doctor of some sort.

Martha shrugged, "I agree. According to his charts, and scans they did at the SGC, the physical injuries wouldn't account for this level of pain and weakness in his limbs. It's probably more psychosomatic than anything else, due to the torture and the shock of being home."

"...and the betrayal." Merlin wiped a hand over his face. "I can't imagine the hell he's going through over that. I'd never seen him so happy. Then, to have her betray him...betray all of us, like that...he was in love with her.

"I'd only heard about it...what she did, after the fact. I was so wrapped up in my own grief at the time...on top searching for him and Percival. I remember, Leon and I spent years looking for some sign of them, only to come up empty handed. That woman was the reason he was captured."

"You want my suggestion?"

Merlin nodded, "Always."

"We need to take him back to England." Laney could see the shock visible on the man's face. Martha continued, "I can work out a transfer based on his psychological symptoms, so you can take him back to where you all were just before it happened. I understand how different things are there now, but it's the only way I can think of for him to try and get some closure...and hopefully, move forward with the healing process."

"Good luck in getting my brother to go anywhere with you, out of that hole he's dug himself into...especially if he thinks that you're trying to act like a shrink." Laney said, finally making her presence known.

Martha turned around in surprise. Merlin barely batted an eyelash.

"Look, I know my brother, or at least I used to," she explained. "Unless there's some other reason for him to go there, he's probably not going to budge."

Merlin snickered, "You're right, he is rather obstinate.." His face suddenly lit up. "I've got it! I still haven't chosen my best man for our wedding!"

Martha gaped at him. "I thought you were going to talk to Mickey about that?"

He gulped and looked sheepish. "I haven't gotten around to it yet. Mickey will understand!"

Her jaw hit the floor. "The wedding is less than two weeks away!" Martha groaned into her hands.

"I love you." He said giving her a lopsided grin, his eyes wide with feigned innocence.

**(*~*~*~*)**

When the three of them re-entered the hospital room, they were surprised to see Gwaine's grandfather awake. He sat in a chair at one end of the pivoting bed table, which was positioned alongside the bed, instead of over the bed like it was supposed to be. Percival sat facing him at the other end. A deck of cards was set between them.

"Elaine, can you believe this big buster here has never played cards?" The old man asked, picking up the deck and shuffling it, with an ornery twinkle in his eye.

Gwaine was lying back, with his eyes closed, but they could tell he wasn't sleeping.

"Come on, Boyd. The colonel here needs to talk with Gwaine. Why don't we go get some dinner and see if we can find a room for the night." Laney walked over to her brother.

"Colonel, huh?" He scrutinized Merlin and seemed to come to some sort of conclusion. "Oh, we ain't hurting nothing, Elaine. They can talk with us here."

Gwaine sighed, and opened his eyes a crack. "Pops, don't argue."

Boyd looked over his grandson and huffed. He stood up shakily and patted Gwaine's forearm. "You'll be back in the saddle in no time, buck-a-roo. Just remember, you're a Dallon, we always make it."

Brown eyes misted over, as Gwaine smiled at his grandfather. He never realized, while in Camelot, just how much he missed the old man. "Thanks, Pops. I'll see you tomorrow."

The large knight, also bid his friend farewell and left the room with Boyd, asking more about the card game they had been playing.

"Percival and I can drive the both of you to a hotel, and to get a rental car if you like. Then we can come back here to get Merlin." Martha offered.

"That'd be great, thanks." Laney turned back to her little brother. "You know, Boyd would have argued with me six-ways-til-Sunday about leaving. He listens to you though...he always has. Maybe tomorrow, I'll bring you that beer." She leaned down to give him a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"I'm going to hold you to that."

The two men fell silent for a while, after the others left. Merlin leaned back against the cream-hued wall, fascinated by the spectacle of colors outside the window, as the sun began to set behind the mountains. "Can I do anything? ...Get you anything?"

Gwaine shifted in the bed, his level of discomfort obvious. "Can I change my mind about the method of healing? Just have you fix it all at once?"

Merlin's eyes dropped, and he stared at the laminate floor. He didn't know how, or if he should, tell Gwaine that there was nothing more he could do magically. Even though the spell he had performed the day before was supposed to provide gradual healing, the injuries weren't as severe as he had initially thought. Part of him wanted to shake Gwaine, convince him it was all in the man's head. Even though Merlin knew from experience how hard it could be, not only to get through to Gwaine, but also how something like that could do more harm than good.

He settled for one of the half-lies he'd always been proficient in...except when it came to Martha. "I can try, but not here." He shrugged, "Actually, I want to take you home with me."

Gwaine eyed up his friend and then turned to watch the sunset. "I doubt they'll let me out of here, anytime soon." He didn't want to admit, that going back the UK, the place where he'd spent the last seven years of his life, albeit in another time, was the last place he wanted to be.

"Well, they're going to have to." Merlin pushed off the wall and moved next to the chair at Gwaine's bedside. "You see, I'm in a bit of a bind, that only you can help me with."

The knight laughed, "Now that I know you have magic; I doubt I could help much." Gwaine's face changed to an expression of curiosity. "Wait, If you had magic, why did you need me to go with you to the Valley of Fallen Kings?"

The warlock sat down and licked his lips. "I'd lost my magic at that time. Morgana sent a creature to Camelot, that drained it from me. I was going to the Crystal Cave there, in the valley, to try and get it back...but that has nothing to do with why I need you now. My magic, for what it's worth, does me no good, whatsoever, against an angry woman in fear of her wedding day being ruined by an idiot."

"Oh my...that is a pickle." He stared at Merlin with a small grin.

"You see...the wedding is less than two weeks away, and I haven't decided on a best man."

Gwaine nearly rolled off the bed with his laughter.

"Please, Gwaine! For old times' sake, help me!" Merlin pleaded.

Gwaine, at first, wanted to protest, but whether it was two weeks or two thousand years, he couldn't find the heart to deny his first friend from that strange land. "Alright. Alright. If Dr. Jones can swing my release, I'll do it." He may have grumbled about it, but Merlin could see the old spark returning to his friend's brown eyes.

* * *

_**Footnotes:**_

_**[1] 14ers: yes this is the proper spelling. ;) Colorado is partially known for the mountains that top fourteen thousand feet above sea level. Pikes Peak is probably the most well known of them. If you're having trouble visualizing the mountain, just google Pikes Peak and click images. It's really an amazing mountain to see. "Pikes Peak or Bust" was a slogan during the Colorado Gold Rush days. Wikipedia has some great info on it.**_

_**[2] SCA: The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. Is a group of people that get together and recreate medieval events such as battles, feasts, and tournaments.**_

_**As always: thank you to Nance for beta-reading. We went back and forth a couple times on an issue in this chapter, but I think we finally got it smoothed out, and it turned out all the better for her help! And IcarusLSU for his idea bouncing as well!**_

_**Thanks for the reviews so far! I love reading what you all think of this story, so please keep 'em coming!**_


	7. Part 1: Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

It took the better part of the week, and a few hours worth of international calls, to get everything set up. Martha had to go back to New York for a couple of days, not only to sort things from her end, but also to make sure she wouldn't be called away in the middle of her wedding.

Gwaine and Laney spent a good deal of time, once Gwaine finally agreed to some painkillers, to hash out a plan between them concerning their grandfather. Boyd reluctantly agreed to consider leasing out his land, cutting back the herd, and moving with Laney and the boys down to Colorado. Gwaine was becoming adamant about eventually returning to work once he got back on his feet after the wedding.

"...Start looking for something out east a bit, even if it's a few leagues away..." He was stopped by his sister's snicker. "What?"

"Leagues? Seriously?"

Gwaine sighed. He wondered how long it had taken him to adapt to the vocabulary, when he had first found himself in the area outside Camelot. 'Surely not that long,' he thought to himself, with a roll of his eyes and a toss of his hair. "Fine, a few kilometers...miles...clicks...whatever! You know what I mean."

His sister was glad to see the change in his attitude, and quietly thanked the young UNIT Colonel for the turnaround. Laney didn't hold back, however, when expressing her jealousy of her brother heading to England. She hadn't visited her childhood home since their mother had died. If it hadn't been for Boyd and her sons, she would have threatened to stow away in Gwaine's luggage.

Percival was adapting, better than Gwaine had anticipated. Each day he visited with stories, told in an excited voice, about his new experiences. "There was this one maiden, who offered to give me her 'digits'...but I don't know why I would have needed her assistance. I was not counting anything at the time."

Finally, everything was in place. Gwaine's travel papers were updated and in order, as were Percival's, along with the knight's new identity. Gwaine was excited to finally be out of the hospital gown and sweatpants, although he couldn't deny the cozy comfort of soft fleece against his skin. He was happy to put on some real trousers for a change.

The first challenge came when they drove up to the local airport. Percival's blue eyes were as wide as they had been during his first car ride. His palms were sweating as he watched the white metal beasts, larger than the dragon he remembered Leon once speaking of, soaring loudly overhead.

After using his magic to repair the car, just before turning in the keys, Merlin was becoming frustrated. Gwaine was hysterical with laughter, calling his friend a grumpy old man, and poor Percival looked like a frantic horse, ready to bolt.

Merlin finally gave his friend three choices. He could get on the plane, and just deal with it. He could stay here in Colorado, and they would make arrangements for him to stay with Gwaine's friend Cameron...at least until the fuzzy haired man was called away for work. Mitchell had begged and pleaded with Gwaine over the phone, earlier. His last hope of reuniting the team he wanted, had fallen through.

Another call went to Dr. Lam. She even made an offer to help assist Percival in acclimating to the time period, if he wished to stay. The offer brought a shy smile to the large man's face. The third option: Merlin could transport the three of them using his magic.

"You can do that?" Gwaine had asked skeptically. Although he had always been the shortest of Arthur's knights, as he looked up to Merlin and Percival from the wheelchair he was in, he felt almost miniscule.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Of course I can. I'm a sorcerer...remember?"

After some deliberation, and the realization that they had missed their flight, Percival acquiesced to the magical means of travel. Even though he had been taught in Camelot that it was evil, he consoled himself with the thought that this was Merlin...and magic was much more familiar than the gigantic metal birds, whose wings didn't flap. Nor did he relish being left behind, alone.

"The devil you know!" Gwaine quipped, garnering a smirk from Merlin as the warlock began dialing his phone.

"Mickey Smith," The thick accent of a young man came through the speaker of the phone.

"Mickey, it's Merlin. Where are you?"

"What? No proper 'Hello, how are you'...and all that? Just 'Where are you?'...as if I'm your personal serving boy. No, sorry, 'manservant.' Hey, what was that word you said you used to call your king? Oh yeah. Prat!" Mickey continued to utter various complaints.

Gwaine and Percival shared a glance. "He's right, you know," the shorter man snickered.

Merlin pinched the bridge of his nose and ignored Gwaine. "Mickey..." The warlock barely refrained from telling the other man to 'shut up'. "Hi, how goes it? Now, where are you?"

"Cardiff. At work. Jack says, to tell you 'hello.'"

Merlin flinched. Last year, Mickey and Martha met during a very interesting occurrence, in which the entire planet had been moved.[1] Merlin recalled how all the world agencies had been in a total panic. It was a real awakening for the general populace; that perhaps there was more going on among the stars than they could fathom.

Jack Harkness had offered both Mickey and Martha jobs with Torchwood, but only Mickey took him up on it. Martha declined, for the time being. She and Merlin had spoken about the possibility, and while the warlock never said definitively, he would rather his fiance steer clear of the promiscuous leader of Torchwood.

In all honesty, he wasn't worried about Martha falling for Jack's advances, so much. While Jack had no qualms about any sexuality, he did seem to prefer men, and he had told Merlin, in no uncertain terms, that the warlock was on his 'To Do' list.

"Tell him, I'm still not interested." Merlin said sharply, and cringed as he heard Jack laughing in the background.

Percival looked on blankly, while Gwaine raised an eyebrow, reading the implications in his friend's voice.

"Anyway," Merlin cleared his throat and continued, "I'm going to be arriving shortly, with a couple of friends, and I need a clear landing spot."

Over the years, Merlin had become rather proficient with magical travel, but he found it helpful to end up in a clear field or room he knew well. The added awkwardness of the wheelchair that Gwaine was currently confined to, was bound to make this teleportation even trickier.

"The boss man says I'm not allowed to help you during work hours...without some incentive."

"Oh, you have got to be sodding kidding me!" The warlock cursed. "I'll find someone else to help, then."

"No!" Jack's smooth American accent came through the line in clear sarcastic tones. "God, can't even take a joke, sheesh! We've got a clear spot at an abandoned landing strip, just up the road from the ruins of Caerleon. I'll have Mickey text you the coordinates. Any special requests we need to be made aware of?"

"I have a man in a wheelchair, and we'll be needing transport."

"Who's driving?" Mickey's voice asked suspiciously.

"Me. Why?" Merlin seemed a bit put off by the question.

"Um...that would be a negative." Mickey audibly gulped, "I've heard the stories from Martha. Based on those alone, I wouldn't give you the keys to a moped, let alone a real car."

The warlock protested, "I'm a very good driver!"

Gwaine snickered into his fist. "Okay, Rainman." At the same time, across the phone connection, Mickey uttered something very similar.

The look Merlin gave his friend could have frozen lava.

Percival's face betrayed his confusion, but he felt the need to be somehow included in the conversation with his friends and the two disembodied voices. "Martha says, he suffers from something called 'Road Rage.'"

"Ooh, who does that gorgeously deep, smooth voice belong to?" Jack asked seductively.

The large knight's eyes blinked in shock at the manner in which the man's voice addressed him. He folded his massive arms across his chest defensively, unconsciously taking a step back from the phone.

"This is going to get interesting," the warlock muttered. "How long until you'll be ready on your end?" Just simply appearing in an open area was fraught with complications when using magical means, or even alien technology. From the possibility of witnesses, and cameras...or witnesses with cameras... to landing on an uneven surface; so many things needed to be taken into account. Gone were the days when he could just appear in a field alone, and pass it off as a trick of the eye. It had taken Merlin nearly five years to synchronize his ability with the modern Global Positioning System. With satellite imagery it became easier to actually see where he wanted to end up.

He rarely performed the magic required for the teleportation, although it was simple for him. He enjoyed the idea of flying so much more, and it was less tiresome. He cast his gaze to Percival, who was still shaken from the airport parking lot, and sighed.

"Give us an hour and we'll be ready." Mickey stated.

"Oh, and we can bring a wheelchair. If you want to leave yours there." Jack added.

For once, Merlin was thankful to Jack for his quick thinking. "Aye, we'll do that. Thank you. See you lot in about an hour then." He touched the screen of the phone and cut off the call. "Percival, would you mind carrying Gwaine for a bit?"

"Of course." The large knight had no qualms about assisting his friend. They found a place to store the wheelchair and called Colonel Mitchell, asking if he could swing by at some point to pick it up. They spent the hour finding an out of the way place in the shade of a building. Merlin scanned the area with his eyes and found only one camera.

His shoulders relaxed slightly in relief. Only one camera was easy to fool. The trick would be to cast an illusion of them walking away, at the same time as Merlin basically folded reality around them, to move them to the coordinates Mickey had sent him. He spent the rest of the time in meditation. He had rarely ever crossed such a distance, and certainly not with two other people in tow.

At first Gwaine attempted to make small talk, and encouraged Merlin to explain it to him...until the warlock threatened to dump him accidentally into the Atlantic. The former knight of Camelot shut his mouth with a snap.

The call finally came in. Torchwood was ready. Percival picked up Gwaine and swallowed down a lump in his throat.

The words that flowed out of Merlin's mouth seemed ancient. His eyes glowed like a fire had been lit inside them, and Merlin first directed his hand towards the camera. "Alright, we don't have much time. Are you ready?"

At a tentative nod from the other men, he began uttering a string of syllables that would hopefully take them to the designated spot, just outside Cardiff.

**(*~*~*~*)**

The whirlwind of dust and magic subsided around them. Merlin collapsed the moment his feet materialized on solid ground. He blinked in exhaustion at the blurred hand reaching out to him. Merlin reached for it, thankful to find it belonged to Mickey. While he considered the spell itself to be rather simple, the added power needed for bringing his friends, as well as the distance crossed, caught him off balance. He was thankful, once again, that they had left the wheelchair behind.

Unfortunately for Percival, the large man wavered while holding Gwaine and trying to adjust from the unconventional travel.

"Easy there, big fella." Jack's voice stated as he reached forward to help steady the knight. Once he was certain Percival wasn't going to drop his companion, or fall himself, Jack smiled flirtatiously. His blue eyes indiscriminately roved over Percival. "Hi, Captain Jack Harkness."

"You can flirt later, boss." Mickey said, rolling his eyes.

Jack scoffed, "You know, you're as bad as the Doctor."

"Yeah, well, someone's got to keep you in line."

Percival's boyish face appeared frightened. Gwaine heard him gulp, while still sitting across his friend's large arms, with one arm slung around the massive shoulders to help his balance. He patted Percival on the back. "Relax, I don't think he means anything by it." Gwaine turned to Jack. "You might want to back off a bit, things are a bit...different, where we come from."

Jack raised a dark eyebrow. Blue eyes shined mischievously, and he flashed them a dashing smile that spoke of forbidden promises. "...And where might that be, handsome?"

Groaning and leaning against Mickey for support, Merlin answered, "Not too far from here, but the real question is when, not where."

"Care to elaborate?" Jack asked, now even more intrigued...if that was at all possible.

**(*~*~*~*)**

"So you are really THE Merlin, from all the tale and myths?"

A ceramic mug was placed in front of Merlin on the table, jarring the warlock from his thoughts. They were currently in a safe house owned by Torchwood. Gwaine had been given a fairly heavy dose of a painkilling sedative and was now sound asleep in an upstairs room. Percival sat in a chair close to a window in the sitting room. He stared outside at the traffic going by, his face unreadable. Even though the large knight had never been to Queen Annis' castle, he had seen it from a distance a couple of times, and it looked nothing like the ruins they passed on the way to the safe house.

Merlin began to worry about his friend's mental state. Having walked through time, living through history, it was difficult for Merlin to comprehend just how many changes had taken place. "Yes, I am." He finally answered Jack.

"You know magic is probably just some unstudied form of alien genetics or technology, right?" The Torchwood Agent slumped down in the chair across from Merlin. "I mean, everything has some sort of explanation."

Merlin stared at the man. It was a similar conversation he and Martha had on a few occasions. He'd allowed his betrothed to take blood and tissue samples to study. As of yet, she hadn't found anything significant that could attribute to his magic, or his long life span. "When you find out what it is, be sure to let me know, right?"

"You boys are welcome to stay here, as long as you need to."

"I appreciate that, Jack." Merlin took a sip of the tea in front of him. "I think once Gwaine is rested, I'll probably be taking them to some land I own upriver from here. Then I need to head to London and get married."

Jack chuckled, "Martha is one lucky lady. By the way, where's my invitation?"

"Did Martha not send one out to you?" Merlin clucked his tongue against his teeth. "Shame, it must have gotten lost in the post or something."

"Yeah, like it magically disappeared..." Standing up, he smoothed out his trousers. "I need to get back to headquarters. I'll leave Mickey here, at your disposal, in case you need anything."

Merlin smiled and sat up straighter. He held his hand out in front of him and spoke in Old English. He didn't hide his smirk upon seeing Jack jump slightly, when Merlin's eyes glowed and an envelope appeared in his hand. Tossing the sealed letter to Jack, he smiled, "There's your invitation. Sorry about the mix up."

Harkness let out a smooth laugh as he caught it. "You sly dog!"

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Hey." Mickey said, taking a seat near Percival. "I would ask if you're doing alright, but from what Merlin was saying about you lot...I think it would be pointless."

The blond man's lips turned up slightly in gratitude. "I only saw Caerleon from a distance, a few times. If Camelot has suffered much the same disrepair, I am uncertain how I will react."

The dark-skinned man glanced towards the kitchen, where Merlin sat staring at his tea. "He didn't tell you then?"

Percival shook his head.

"Oh boy." Mickey breathed out and rubbed his hands together, nervously. He wasn't sure if he should be the one to explain to his new friend...how there was no Camelot. Until he met Merlin, even Mickey believed it was a myth. However, when the wizard had shown Mickey some of his magic, and began to spin the tales, the young man felt a stirring in his soul. He believed every word the blue-eyed man spoke...almost as if he had lived it.

"You know how it was a long time ago, right?" The knight nodded his understanding, so Mickey continued, "Well, most people, nowadays, just pass it off as fairy tales. Its not been proven that it ever existed. Although, now I know the prat over there," Mickey's eyes flicked to Merlin.

"I think he had something to do with it. I reckon, if it still exists, Merlin might have hidden it...or something...with his magic."

"I didn't hide it." Merlin called from the kitchen. Merlin stood and brought his tea with him into the sitting room. His voice was distant, as if he were reliving a memory. "By the time I was able to think of something like that...Camelot was already gone. The only part that was left, was immortalized in the Welsh fables. I came across a man by the name of Geoffrey of Monmouth in the twelfth century..."

"...but Geoffrey was at Camelot?" Percival asked, trying to understand.

"There was a Geoffrey there, too. However, the man I met simply had the same name, and penchant for recording history. Perhaps he was the same man, reborn. I don't know. Anyway, I began to tell him of my memories. Through him, and later through others, Camelot was rebirthed into legend. Much of it has been twisted and is completely inaccurate, but the idea of it...the fantasy of what it might have been, is strong in the hearts of many."

"...And the castle?"

"Long gone. I'm sorry to say."

Percival stared out the window. His thoughts were scattered as he tried to make sense of it all. "I want to see it." He said after a while.

"Tomorrow. We need to let Gwaine rest for a bit."

"Is he going to be alright?" The large man inquired.

Merlin shrugged, "That's up to him, I suppose. A lot of his pain, and his immobility, is in his head. He's getting better, but the psychological damage from everything you have both been through, is a heavy burden for him."

Percival nodded, "His last words to me, before I thought he was dead were..."

"I failed."

They all turned to see Gwaine sitting midway down on the flight of steps leading from the upper floor room.

"Gwaine, you should be in bed, resting." Merlin stated. He was secretly pleased to see that his friend had made it as far as he had on his own. "How did you manage to make it to the stairs?"

Gwaine shrugged, "Mostly crawling, and leaning on things. Nature called. What do you mean it's in my head?" The glare he shot Merlin was filled with anger and betrayal.

Merlin sighed, "Let's get you the rest of the way down here, and I'll try to explain."

**(*~*~*~*)**

The sun shone down, reflecting off the still surface of the lake. A green island in the center of the body of water was shrouded in mist. A dark pillar stood at the highest point, its pinnacle rising just above the fog. The road behind them was thankfully devoid of traffic, as the four men stared out at the lake.

Mickey leaned against the guardrail, slightly away from the others. Gwaine and Merlin sat on a bench facing the water, while Percival stood next to them. The mood was heavy among them, after Merlin finished his tale of Arthur's final moments. Gwaine asked about Gwen, and Merlin told him the same thing he had told Percival. She and her son were brought to the lake as well...the same place he had lain Lancelot to rest, after he had returned from under Morgana's control.

"I once again, wish to thank you for freeing me from her thrall, my friend."

The three men looked up sharply. Before them, as large as life, stood a vision of Lancelot. Merlin's brows pinched as he stared at their long lost friend, exactly how the warlock remembered him.

"I never actually died, if that's what you're wondering." He explained to his stunned friends. "When I gave myself to the veil, I was greeted by a being so ethereal, I thought for certain I was in heaven. Instead, however, I was given a choice, to become a guardian of sorts. Through her magic, Morgana was able to tap into that realm and bring my body back for her sick plan. I was powerless against her will. When Merlin brought my body here, he was able to release me back into the Ascended existence I had chosen."

"So...how are you here now?" Merlin asked, before rambling on. "I mean...not that I mind, I've seen a lot of things, lived a lot of lives...but..."

Percival cocked his head to the side. "Yes, how are you here?"

Gwaine's eyes narrowed. During one of Cameron's visits, the Air Force Colonel was able to explain more about the Ancients who built the Stargates, and their subsequent Ascension to a form beyond the likeness of a human. Originally, they were human, or at least something close to it. As their society blossomed, they reached a point in their evolution that allowed them to transform their consciousness into an ethereal ghost-like form.

The battle over Antarctica, when Cameron was shot down, was due to a Goa'uld who had been gifted with the ability to Ascend, in hopes that he would be able to lead his people to a better path. Unfortunately, Anubis had 'suckered', as Cameron put it, the Ancients. He took the power granted to him with his new form to take over much of the galaxy in his quest for power.

Lancelot smiled at Gwaine. "You know, don't you?"

Flipping his hair back, Gwaine laughed, "Yeah...yeah, I do."

"Good, because I don't have much time. I'm already breaking the rules by appearing to you now."

"Rules?" Merlin asked, his head was spinning. "You've visited me before, over the years, haven't you?"

The Ascended being only smiled his reply.

"Does that mean...Arthur...and Gwen?" Merlin's throat was tight as he began to realize the possibilities.

"No, their fates are different than my own."

"You said 'are', not 'were'." The warlock immediately questioned the phrasing .

"Did I?" Lancelot feigned innocence. The ghostly knight suddenly looked over his shoulder. He turned back with a harried expression. "I must go. Just know when the time comes, you will be ready." He turned and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Percival called out to his friend. "Will we see you again?"

Lancelot shrugged and smiled. "I'll be keeping watch over you all. Goodbye, my friends." His form faded as he walked away, leaving the four men stunned.

"I'd love to say that was weird...but for my life, it really wasn't." Mickey said, startling the other three.

They all began laughing. "Come on, we have one more place to go, before we rush off to London so I can get married."

Gwaine stood and stretched with a cat-like grin, before he realized the pain he had been feeling was now nothing more than a dull ache from disuse. He took a wobbly step and nearly fell over.

Percival caught his friend and chuckled, "Merlin said it would still take some time."

"Yeah, but at least now there's a reason to hope."

**(*~*~*~*)**

An hour later they stopped and picked up a takeaway lunch from a shop, before piling back into the SUV. The four men had been talking non-stop about what Lancelot might have meant. Merlin brought up his concerns, and told them about the prophecy. Mickey and Gwaine seemed to be in agreement that the threat was probably alien, both having had experiences with the extraterrestrial.

"You mentioned, the other night with Martha, about two kings on an alien planet." Percival said.

Merlin bared his teeth in a grimace. "Um...I...uh..."

"Two kings?" Gwaine cocked his head to the side.

"Mickey, you want to turn down that dirt path, just up and to the right a bit."

"Merlin?" Gwaine prodded.

"It was a theory that Elvis and Arthur..."

"Were what? Singing 'hunk-a-hunk-a burnin' love' on some alien planet somewhere, while sipping on pina colada's?"

Mickey snorted out a laugh as he turned down the overgrown trail. An old rusted gate and a fallen tree barred the way. "Um...how do we get through here?"

"Like this..." Merlin held out his hand. His eyes flashed with inner fire as the tree disappeared and the gate swung open. Mickey drove through, Merlin twisted around in the seat and without a word, the roadblock was back in place.

"Now that I understand a bit more, that actually is rather hot." Percival said.

The other three cackled at the knight's attempt at modern vernacular. Gwaine put a hand on his large friend's shoulder. "You mean 'cool', I think. Saying it was 'hot', would be like when that Harkness character was flirting with you...because he thinks you're hot."

Percival's eyes widened in fear and embarrassment. "Yes, I meant 'cool'."

Gwaine sat back and looked out the window, as the vehicle crept along. The tree line thinned ahead of them and opened up into a lush green field. Across the way, they could see a manor house, set on top of a hill. "Where are we anyway?"

Merlin's eyes casually scanned the area. "Oh, you know, just some land I own." At Gwaine's questioning look, he continued, "Okay, it's more like a rather large estate I managed to acquire back around the eighteenth century."

"It looks sort of familiar." Percival stated.

"It should..." Merlin said softly, his voice filled with reverence. "It's Camelot."

"Camelot?" Gwaine spouted, his brown eyes wide.

"Camelot?" Percival also questioned.

Merlin was unfortunately taking a drink out of his paper coffee cup when Mickey muttered beside him. "It's only a model."

The coffee sprayed from Merlin's lips, across the inside of the windsheild. Gwaine was rolling with laughter in the backseat.

Percival blinked, "I don't get it."

* * *

_**[1]: Reference to Doctor Who episodes: 4x12, 13 "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End"**_

_**[2]: Virtual cookie for those that can guess this movie.**_

_**The prolifically proficient proofreading puffin of polishing (say that three times really fast...hell, just try to say it out loud once!) Otherwise known as my beta Nance... thank you as always! *tosses pickled herring at her***_

_**Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and followed this story! **_

_**Well...this is it actually. The final chapter of this mini-fic, as I had planned it. *gasp* I actually stuck to the outline as written! **_

_** No huge plot line, just a few crossovers and some character development mixed with some family drama. I debated on a 7th chapter...but in the end, I decided to leave this as is. I also want to do an epilogue, however, I am struggling on which way to take it. So many directions, and plot bunnies, and rabid plot squirrels, so little time! Let me know if you have any ideas. I may or may not draw inspiration off of them, but it would be fun to find out what you all think, at least.**_

_**Back to Lord of Beasts for me, for the time being I suppose, until I can either complete that piece, or get hijacked again!**_

_**Thank you for reading! *air kisses* Please leave a comment! Loves and hugs to you all!**_


	8. Part 1: Epilogue

_**Okie Dokie Folks: If you see, I've renamed the chapters a bit, because I'm getting into the next part, but since it's going to be about the same length as this one I'm just going to be differentiating between them with the Chapter Headings. The first chapters are already written for Part 2, but I need to get a bit more clarity on how the rest are going to fall into place before I begin posting it. **_

_**Thank you again to Nance for Beta reading and IcarusLSU for sparking this whole idea in the first place, as well as helping to encourage me along the way.**_

_**And to all the reviewers and readers, I'm glad you are on this journey with me. *air kisses***_

* * *

"Oh no, you didn't?" Merlin's blue eyes were the size of saucers as his friend walked into the room.

Percival began laughing, unable to verbally express his amazement at Gwaine's new look. The other man's hair was now as short as his own. Gone were the locks of chestnut brown that hung around his face and neck...and the natural curls at the ends...were a thing of the past. Even more startling, was the clean shaven face which appeared completely out of place on the former knight, and made his nose seem just a bit longer.

"Well," he said flippantly. "You said so yourself, that you don't want to make the bride angry. So...I consulted Martha and we debated between a tux or my Dress Blues. She felt it would be more fitting for me to wear the uniform...since you are wearing your UNIT dress, as well."

"All my years...and they have been many..."

"...As you keep reminding us." Mickey quipped, rolling his eyes.

"I never thought I would see you with short hair." Merlin wiped away an invisible tear and sniffled, glancing at Percival. "Our little Gwaine is all grown up."

Unconsciously, Gwaine flicked his head, as if trying to knock his now non-existent hair back. "Eh, I'll have to go back to work sometime. I figured I might as well get the worst part over with."

(*~*~*~*)

The wedding itself was an affair grander than Merlin personally wanted, but this day was for Martha. It was a lesson he learned long ago when he first suggested to Mithian that they tone things down for the massive ceremony when they joined. The Nemethian Princess, already stressed beyond reason over the state of affairs, held her chin high, teardrops glistening in her eyes. She diplomatically explained to her soon-to-be husband that a royal wedding was not to be taken lightly. It was a day she had dreamed of since she was a small girl, and it was what her mother would have wished for her.

_"If that is what you truly wish, we should find a compromise and I will find a way to send all the visiting dignitaries home." Mithian let an unvocalized sigh hang in the air. _

Properly browbeaten with guilt, Merlin acquiesced to his bride and, despite his own frayed nerves, never said anymore about it. As he had stood next to her on the dais in the Great Hall, the crowds of people faded away. The glowing smile and sparkling eyes of his princess made it all worthwhile. He never again argued with any of his wives when it came to that one particular day of their lives. Merlin would live on and see other weddings, but for the women he had married throughout the centuries, he was happy to let them decide their own wedding day.

Martha was no exception. Even though he had to remind her on occasion that it was HER day...and not her mother's.

Francine Jones had cried from the pews as her eldest daughter spoke the vows of marriage. Merlin had to bite back a smirk at the spectacle his new mother-in-law was creating.

A DJ played music 'too loudly', according to Percival, who was still adjusting to the modern lifestyle. The guests gathered in a lavishly decorated banquet hall filled to the brim with flowers, balloons, organza, and streamers as the newlyweds made their way in. The announcement of the couple's entrance raised a loud cacophony of cheers and whistles. Soon they were seated at the table on a raised platform while dinner was brought out. After the main course was served, the toasts began.

Most were rather predictable, wishing Merlin and Martha the best, as they set out in their new lives together. But then came the one Merlin was dreading...Gwaine, in his position as best man, was handed a microphone.

Gwaine smiled and ran his right hand over his head, still unused to the lack of hair after so many years. "Wow, what do I say? I could tell you all a lot of secrets, but then he'd probably do something horrible to me. So, that really wouldn't be such a good thing."

He cleared his throat and grasped the back of his chair, to keep his balance. "A long time ago, I was feeling a bit lost in life and that's when I met this man. I helped save him that day...but little does he realize, just how much he saved me. He proved to me, at a time when I didn't believe in much, that there was still something good out there. I watched for a while and helped him out when I could...or whenever he would finally swallow his pride enough to actually ask.

"It was by some miracle that we were recently reunited, and he once again helped me to find belief in myself and the world. I really can't imagine my life now without my best friend.

"I've only known Martha for a very short time, but she is as amazing of a woman as any I could imagine, and I'm grateful that she came into his life...Someone who can be there for him, the way he has been there for others.

"Merlin, you really deserve this happiness I now see in your eyes and your step. Martha, you really have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, do you?" Gwaine winked roguishly at the bride.

Merlin shook his head and shot Gwaine a mirth-filled glare. Martha laughed and smiled. "Perhaps not, but I look forward to finding out."

(*~*~*~*)

"Percival!" Jack Harkness smiled and placed his hand on the large knight's shoulder. "Care to dance?"

Stiffening, Percival glanced around nervously. Mickey had explained a bit more about the Torchwood Captain, and how modern society was more accepting of people such as Jack. However, that didn't mean Percival wanted to be on the receiving end of such attention. His eyes darted about, as he tried to search out his friends for assistance. "Um...I'd rather not."

Unfortunately for Jack, he wasn't a man let sleeping dogs lie. "Oh come on, it's just a dance, not like I plan on taking you to bed with me. Okay, actually I wouldn't mind if that's where it led to, but it's just here on the dance floor, you're perfectly safe." Unable to help himself, Jack patted Percival on his backside.

Mickey, holding a video camera, managed to capture a digitized version of the action.

Faster than anyone could blink, Percival's closed fist connected. All it took was a single swing to send Jack sprawling across the floor in a 'dance' he wasn't expecting.

Many of the guests who knew of the Captain's antics laughed, others gaped in shock. The music paused for a moment as Gwaine suddenly appeared next to his large friend. He suggested they get some air, while a host of women began offering to help Jack to his feet.

During the commotion, no one but Martha noticed when the groom faltered temporarily, as if overtaken by an instant wave of fatigue. "Are you okay?" She asked, her voice heavy with concern.

Steadying himself against his new wife, Merlin blinked and swallowed, "I don't know. Something just happened."

"Yeah, Percival didn't take well to Jack's advances."

"No...it was something else," he whispered.

(*~*~*~*)

_He held the sword in a ready position, facing against an opponent he could barely see. _

_ Nothing... except for the briefest of glances through the visor slit...and he didn't understand or like what little he saw. _

_He felt the movements. He knew the battle...but he was weak. _

_It was wrong. All so wrong. _

_His muscles felt cramped, but they weren't even moving._

_The man with a sword in front of him hardly had an ounce of skill, and yet somehow managed to get the upperhand._

_For a brief second, his vision cleared and he saw the room around him. Filled with treasure and something else..._

_Soundlessly, he tried to screamed her name..._

_Then there was nothing._

* * *

_"You try to find the words you want to say  
You might be looking much too far away  
__to recognize we're all disguised"_

~Katie Herzig "Make A Noise"


	9. Part 2: Prologue

**_Brave New World, Part 2:_**

**_Gathering of the Gods_**

_"You wind among rocks of every conceivable and inconceivable shape and size... all bright red, all motionless and silent, with a strange look of having been just stopped and held back in the very climax of some supernatural catastrophe."_

_~Helen Hunt Jackson_

* * *

_Thump, thump, thump, thump. _

The sound of the rubber-soled running shoes on the hardpack dirt reverberated up his legs. A falcon called out somewhere in the distance, searching from the skies for the prey that would become its breakfast. The pink rays of the sunrise bathed the red-colored stone formations, giving them an unnatural orange glow. Wild yucca plants with their tall flowering stalks and long, thick, green spines stood out in contrast against the gray, almost fuzzy appearance, of the rabbit brush that lined the rust-colored path. It was just after six a.m., but the nightly chill of the high-mountain desert was already burning off and giving way to what would easily be a one-hundred plus degree day...with barely a cloud in what would be an azure sky.

Turning on another path, with more rocks than dust, the sound of his footfalls began to crunch more than thump, with the gravel underfoot. He passed through a section where the scrub brush and succulents gave way to Douglas Firs, intermingled with white-barked, deciduous trees. A hint of a breeze caught the arrowhead shaped leaves and shook the branches. The sound they emitted reminded Gwaine of their name...'Quaking Aspen'.

A few of the trees had already begun changing from the pale green of summer, with their light, almost silvery undersides, to the bright golds and yellows of fall. He'd forgotten how much he enjoyed the colors and the rustling sound that only the Aspens would make. Although similar to the Trembling Poplar in the UK, it was never the same.

The sound of the poplars was older, hollow and haunting, amidst the wetter climate that surrounded Camelot. Here, in a much dryer region, it sounded as if they were welcoming him home.

For the past five months since Gwaine returned to the twenty-first century, his life had been a whirlwind of catch-up games. Today was the first morning he took the opportunity to get back to some semblance of normalcy.

The Base, the hospital, and subsequent trip to the UK filled the first few weeks as he adjusted to the changes...Merlin's wedding having been the climax of that period. Not long afterwards, he arrived back stateside, able to walk again; though the nightmares of his final days in Camelot still clung to his memories. It was hard not to fall into drinking as he had done when he found himself in the sixth century, but forced post-mission counselling actually helped...though he was reluctant to admit it.

A few weeks of physical therapy and he was soon on his way to merging the man he had been and the man he had become.

His friend Percival was adjusting quite well, from what he heard. The tall man had elected to stay in the UK for the time being. Although wanting to stick with Gwaine, he had panicked at the idea of flying. Merlin and his new wife Martha, were heading out for a honeymoon with plans to move to New York, where Martha was still stationed with UNIT.

A modern friend of Merlin's named Mickey Smith, offered to take Percival on as a flatmate. Mickey's job with Torchwood allowed him to access resources that could help the knight of Camelot acclimate. Merlin, Gwaine, and Percival had all agreed it might be for the best. It would also be a way for someone to stick close to Avalon and help, in case Lancelot's hinted prediction came about. The three men also agreed that, although not the same man, there were some aspects of Mickey that reminded them of their long lost friend Elyan.

Phone calls, video calls, and...amazingly...even texting from the man born in the Dark Ages, helped to keep them in touch with one another.

Gwaine took a trip up to Wyoming, about a month after returning stateside, to his family's ranch. A moving company was hired to deal with the majority of the family possessions. The rest was packed up in a large U-Haul, with a mural of Alaska on the side panels. He moved his grandfather, his sister, and her three boys down to Colorado.

They finally agreed to rent out the family home instead of selling it outright. Boyd's herd of cattle was sold off to a nearby neighbor, who also agreed to lease the land. The new place was southeast of Colorado Springs and only offered a scant forty acres of land, instead of the nearly one-thousand acres of the family homestead.

Boyd grumbled and 'bitched' about it, but Gwaine and Laney were in agreement that it would be plenty of room for a small herd that their grandfather could keep as a hobby, and not needing to worry about actually making a living from it. When the bank deposit came in from Gwaine's back pay from his time of being MIA, he was able to buy the lot of land outright and pay off a lot of his grandfather's growing medical bills.

Laney's boys were ecstatic about moving somewhere closer to a city, and meeting their estranged uncle...or they were until Old Uncle Gwaine caught thirteen-year-old Toby sneaking off with a cigarette from his mother's stash. Not only did the boy completely despise his uncle for a time, but it also caused a heated argument between brother and sister over the habit. At one point in history both siblings and their grandfather had smoked, but a pact made between brother and sister had the two of them quitting around the time Gwaine joined the Special Forces.

Boyd was forced to quit after his third heart attack, Laney had explained. However, it was around that time that her husband had run off. In an effort to deal with the stress and not kill someone at the time, she had fallen back into the habit.

It had now been two months since the move and the heated discussion. Laney was trying to quit again and Toby was finally talking to his uncle once more. As of yet, the boy had not been caught red-handed since.

Laney was beyond thankful to have her brother back. It not only lifted the weight of taking care of Boyd, but it also gave her boys a father figure to look up to. The family was settling into their new lives together. However, Gwaine made certain not to hide the fact from his sister and the kids, that as soon as he had the medical and psychological clearance: he was going back to work.

An inclined slope in the path forced Gwaine to bring his thoughts back to his run. He could feel the sun on his bare skin, as the glowing orb climbed higher into the sky. It had been years since he was able to run like this; out on a path with few others, where he didn't need to wear armor or carry a sword. If he had exercised in Camelot the way he had done before being stranded, he would have found himself as bandit bait, mocked by the other knights, or worst of all...teased relentlessly for his indecent exposure.

The satiny polyester gym shorts were black with a thick red stripe down the outside seams, and ended just above his knees. A logo-marked T-shirt from the local Air Force Post Exchange, or PX for short, waited for him back in the parking lot at the base of the trail, in his vehicle. He relished in the feel of the elements on his bare skin as he ran. A brand new pair of Oakley sunglasses wrapped around his eyes and shielded them from the glare of the morning, as he cut in and out of the long shadows cast by the curious rock formations in the Garden of the Gods.

In 1859, a couple of surveyors happened upon the place. Originally intent on calling it "Beer Garden" by one of the men, his companion had promptly corrected his friend and hailed it as a place for the Gods to assemble. Somehow, during their debate on names, the geological formations of red spears of stone and seemingly unbalanced boulders nestled between enormous sandstone and limestone ridges, the Garden of the Gods was named.

The oral history of the native Ute tribes proclaimed their peoples' creation in the area. Before the Spanish arrived in the sixteenth century, the Old Ute Trail ran through it, where the tribes had left petroglyphs illustrating their passage. Out of all the places Gwaine had traveled, on Earth and off, this stone garden always felt more like home than anyplace else.

A buddy of his, first brought him to the place about a month after he was first stationed at the Creek Mountain Complex, more commonly known as Cheyenne Mountain to the locals, and NORAD or Stargate Command to those who worked out of the mountain. The trails hadn't changed much since he was last here, nor had the sense of serenity he felt as he jogged them.

The gravel gave way once again to a flat stretch of packed dirt, and then merged onto a paved path. He turned onto the concrete and finished his morning run back at the parking lot where he had started.

Gwaine wiped off the sweat with a towel, pulled his shirt over his head, and drank heavily from a bottle of water as he let his pulse slow back to a normal speed. Once he caught his breath, he climbed into the driver's seat of the nearly ancient Scout, that he was borrowing from Pops. The old man had bought the 'orange beast', as Gwaine's nephews took to calling it, brand new back in 1978. Gwaine fired it up, feeling the power of the old Harvester's engine and headed home, ready to face the busy day ahead of him.

Shower and breakfast were first on his agenda, and then he was off to the Base to finish getting all his paperwork signed off. By that evening, he hoped to be assigned back to one of the teams that went through the Stargate on a regular basis. If Cameron Mitchell had his way, Gwaine knew which team he would end up with.

* * *

_**Here, essentially, is the prologue to the second part. Hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing this. The Garden of the Gods is a very magical place for me. Growing up in Colorado, it was easy to visualize myself back along those red paths with the flora and earth surrounding me.**_

_**Beta read by IcarusLSU, and proofed by Nance.**_

_**Thank you TheImpossiblePen for your review of the epilogue/teaser of Part 1 :-)**_

_**I would love to hear some more feedback on this story! My muses work faster with your words of encouragement! Thanks for reading!**_


	10. Part 2: Chapter 1

He bit deeply into the flesh and felt the juices running down his chin. Fresh from the shower and into his working uniform of greenish brown MARPAT, or Marine Pattern Camouflage, Gwaine had snatched up the piece of fruit on his way through the kitchen.

The resounding crunch alerted his sister, who stood at the kitchen sink with her back towards him, of his presence. "So help me, Gwaine! I'm going to smack your hand with a wooden spoon if you steal one more of those goddamned apples. How the hell am I supposed to make pies for Greg's Scouts' Bake Sale, if you and the boys eat them all before I can?"

Gwaine smiled, his mouth filled with the pale yellow substance and he mumbled a half-hearted apology.

"Cam called while you were in the shower."

He swallowed his mouthful. "I'm heading to the Base in a few. Did he say I need to call him back right away?"

"No, he just wanted to make sure I didn't have anything planned, so he could drag you out for some pool and beers, after you finished everything today."

"I thought we were having steaks to celebrate?"

"They can keep until tomorrow. Go out and play with your buddy tonight."

He wrapped his arms around his sister. "Love ya, Laney."

"Love you, too, baby bro."

He kissed her cheek, sticky juices from the apple he was eating transferring to her face. Laney spun out of his arms and grabbed a wooden spoon from the utensil container on the countertop.

They were both laughing while she chased him out of the kitchen, threatening to beat him with it.

**(*~*~*~*)**

A visit to the Base infirmary and Doctor Lam, was the first stop on Gwaine's laundry list of "to do's". She passed him off to one of her HS's, Health Service Technicians, and he began a full morning of physical fitness evaluations, followed by a final visit to the civilian shrink who worked in the mountain. Then after a stop for lunch, he met with Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman to get the final sign offs. "Hey, Chief."

Walter looked up through his wire-rimmed glasses and blinked in surprise. "Sir, come on in. Sorry, you caught me a bit off guard, I'm not used to people calling me "Chief" around here. All the officers just call me Walter."

Gwaine chuckled, "Well, they all think they're nobles and can get away with it."

The Chief smiled and motioned to the seat across from him at the desk. "Of course, it's a bit weird to have an officer come to my office, too. Usually I'm running after them like a headless chicken, with my arms full...trying to keep everything in order...which isn't an easy task. However, General Landry is easier than General O'Neill was..." Walter seemed to have the sudden realization that he was addressing an officer and not an enlisted man. "Sorry, Sir."

Gwaine was doing everything he could to keep from bursting. Over a thousand years separated him from the lifestyle he had grown accustomed to. So many things had changed, yet there was always the same dynamics in people and the social structures that remained a constant. His sister reminded him of a more pleasant, yet just as territorial over her domain, version of the head cook in Camelot...and of course there was Walter's own mini-rant about keeping those of higher rank in line. "You remind me of a friend from back in Dark Ages. He was the manservant to a king...and was the one to help make me a knight."

Walter smiled, accepting the intended compliment.

A picture caught Gwaine's eye. He pointed to it. "Are those your kids?"

"Yeah. Bobby and Darla. My wife has been in a state of panic the past two days. Bobby forgot to tell her that his troupe was having a bake sale."

"My sister's going through the same thing with her middle boy, Greg."

"Greg Phillips?" Walter asked, smiling at the discovery when Gwaine nodded. "He came to stay at our place a couple of weeks ago."

They discussed the boys for a little while, until Gwaine glanced at the clock on the wall. Cameron was dead set on taking him out for beers that evening, to celebrate Gwaine's official return to Active Duty, which wasn't likely to happen unless all the paperwork was in order. "Well, Chief, I suppose it's time you finished the papers and made me a 'knight' of King Landry, eh?"

"Yes Sir...or should I say 'M'Lord'?" Walter joked.

"You are so coming out with us for a beer tonight!"

"Um..."

"I don't give a damn about the rules for Officer vs Enlisted. I'll take the heat for it, if it comes to it. You are joining us tonight."

"Actually, it's not the Regs. It's my wife who might have the problem. She wants me to help decorate the cupcakes."

"Oh," Gwaine drawled, conceding the point. "...that's a bit different."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Rockabilly music poured from the jukebox in the corner. It was a large retro thing, which the owner of the bar still maintained with pride. No CDs. Nothing digital. Just good old fashioned vinyl and needle, complete with a few scratched records and skipping songs caused by drunks careening off of it over the years.

The Marine Captain found himself singing along to some of the tunes subconsciously. He ran his hands over the pool cue, before settling it in a comfortable grip. Sliding it backwards on the web of skin between his thumb and index finger, he leaned forward over the green felt table. The tip of the stick cracked against the white cue ball, sending it spinning towards the bright yellow nine ball. It bounced off the corner edge of the pocket and rolled back towards the center of the table.

Gwaine was still bent over, glaring at the balls on the table that refused to go into the pockets, when he felt a presence behind him. A feminine voice spoke softly in his ear. "I think you need practice."

Turning his head he met wide blue eyes, surround by short blond hair. He smirked and chuckled. Standing up, he set the cue to the side and wrapped his arms around the woman. "Samantha Carter!"

She returned his embrace, wholeheartedly. "It's good to see you again, Dallon."

"Oh, I see how it is!" Mitchell called out from the other end of the pool table, as he rolled his eyes. "I try to drag you back here for months, and can't get you to part with your precious R&D shit. The moment you finally get wind Dallon here, has been found...which by the way, was quite a while ago that he came back...you miraculously appear."

"Of course, Cameron. He's much better looking." She deadpanned, causing Gwaine to actually blush.

"Oooh! Ouch!"

"He also owes me a second date." Sam shrugged and offered an innocent-looking smile.

Gwaine was left completely speechless. He raked his hand over his scalp and looked around, suddenly noticing how full the bar had become. When he and Mitchell had first arrived, the place was nearly deserted. At some point while he was focused on the game table in front of him, the bar had filled up. His eyes scanned the crowd. He recognized nearly everyone present. Two were members of the SG Unit, whom he went through the gate with. Others were from various positions around the Base he had known, or had come to know, in his short while back, including General Landry. He was more surprised to see that even Walter had decided to stop in.

He didn't get the opportunity to respond to Sam's suggestion of a date, as he was suddenly greeted and congratulated with warm hugs and handshakes, as the rest of the crowd welcomed him back to their military family. He shook his head and grinned when he realized that his sister was among them.

Glancing around nervously, he questioned, "What are you doing here?"

"Walter called and invited me this afternoon. Don't worry, I signed the non-disclosure form, although what the hell I might overhear, I haven't a clue, but..." Laney shrugged, "It was enough to get me in the door."

Drinks were bought and toasts were raised in his honor, until he felt nearly overwhelmed by all the fanfare.

General Landry held up his hands for silence, preparing to make his own toast. Walter appeared at the General's side with a black leather folder, similar to what Letters of Commendation were presented in. "Normally, something like this is done on the Base with the intended recipient fully aware of what the hell is going on. But Captain Dallon here, I think we can all agree, is a rather special circumstance. So at my prerogative, we're doing things a bit differently."

Gwaine leaned back against the pool table, eyeing his CO warily. Although, he was quite happy to be in between two beautiful women while he listened. He had his arm was draped over his sister's shoulders, who also lounged against the table on one side. Sam Carter stood next to him on the other.

"With that in mind, seven or so years ago, all the paperwork went through. As Captain Dallon embarked on what was to be a simple mission of diplomacy, he had hopes of coming back to news we all look forward to hearing...well, almost all of us. Anyway, he sure as hell took his time."

"I'll say!" One of the Marines from Gwaine's former unit yelled out. "Nothing like being a day late and a Dallon short! HOO-AH!"

Laughter and a chorus of other "Hoo-ah's" erupted, causing more comments about Gwaine's extended vacation in another time. Gwaine wished he had his long hair back to hide the flush on his face. At only five-foot-eleven, he was just slightly shorter than many of his fellow officers. Between always managing to get out of a bar tab and then, one time, of running late to head out with his team, someone had coined the phrase. It appeared that even centuries of time would not erase it.

Clearing his throat loudly, Landry regained the groups attention. "Damn Marines," he muttered. "Now, somehow, even after all this time, Walter here was able to find the letter Captain Dallon had been waiting for." He motioned to the Chief Master Sergeant to begin the apparently impromptu ceremony.

Walter's voice rang out through the bar room. "ATTENTION TO ORDERS!"

Everyone gathered and stood. Drinks were set on the bar and tables; pool cues and darts were set aside, as they gave their full attention to the reading.

"The President of the United States, acting upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Marine Corps, has placed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, integrity, and ability of Captain Gwaine Dallon. In view of these special qualities and his demonstrated potential to serve in the higher grade, Captain Dallon is promoted to the permanent grade of Major, United States Marine Corps, effective immediately. By order of the Secretary of the Marine Corps."

General Landry took the certificate and the gray felt box holding the insignia pins...two golden oak leaves...from Walter. Gwaine stood at full attention as Landry stopped in front of him.

He held up his right hand and spoke the words of his oath. "I, Gwaine Dallon, having been appointed a Major in the United States Marine Corps, do solemnly swear, that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely; without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter, so help me God."

Landry gave him a handshake and handed the box and letter over to the new Major.

Gwaine saluted, and the General returned it. "Could you hold this a second, Sir?" He asked, holding the items out to Landry. The General raised his eyebrows in curiosity as he took them. Gwaine pulled out his wallet and thumbed through it, then he began digging through his pockets.

"Something wrong, son?"

He bit his bottom lip as he appeared to be counting the people in the room. "Um...If I had know this was going to be a wetting-down, I would have brought more money."

The General laughed. He had, in fact, been expecting this. Typically for the Marines, and also for other branches of service such as the Navy, when an officer was promoted, the after-party was referred to as a 'wetting-down' ceremony. Most often, the entire bar tab then become the responsibility of the one being promoted. "Don't worry, son. After all you've been through, this one is on the Air Force."

Gwaine smiled his thanks, and took his new insignia and letter back. Applause and cheers filled the bar room, as he turned away from his CO, and began receiving more congratulations. He smirked at Cameron...who laughed uproariously at the message the look conveyed. Whether it was the sixth century, or the twenty-first, Gwaine Dallon was once again the king of not paying his own bar tab.

**(*~*~*~*)**

He knew it was late...or early. Either way, Gwaine was certain he was going to wake up the intended recipient of the phone call he was about to make. He slumped into the wicker chair on the back deck of his house, and gazed at the stars above. The boys and Pops were sound asleep by the time he and Laney had returned. She was getting ready for bed, but Gwaine's mind was reeling. He knew he wouldn't be able to rest until he talked to someone about his misgivings.

The phone rang twice on the other end, before it was answered with a very sleep-slurred English accent.

"Hey Merlin."

"Gwaine? Gods, it's what, three in the morning there?"

"Yeah, and five where you are. Sorry to wake you."

"S'okay, what's wrong?" Merlin's voice asked, a bit more awake.

"Not really wrong. I was reinstated to Active Duty today...erm, yesterday." Gwaine said. He stiffled a groan, as he stretched his legs out onto the matching wicker coffee table.

"That's great to hear!" The voice responded around what sounded like a yawn.

"And I received an overdue promotion." Gwaine said, trying to sound upbeat.

"I would congratulate you, but I can tell from your voice, there's more to it."

"It was harder than I thought...saying the words of my oath. I kept thinking back to that run-down castle, and that round stone table, you know?"

Merlin didn't say a word, he simply listened to his friend.

"It took me so long to get over the idea that I might come back home. It was another reason I never wanted to become a knight in the first place, you know? I had already taken an oath to the service of a different kind.

"That night, I was finally ready...because of you, my friend, to accept that I could serve under a different banner. Part of me feels like: today, I broke the vow I made to Arthur..." His eyes stung with unshed tears. "Is that stupid of me?...To feel like I'm betraying a man who I served in a different century?"

"No..." Merlin said softly. "I still feel that way every time I've taken a similar oath. After so long, I sometimes wonder why I should feel that way. Maybe it's part of destiny's plan...who knows."

"...And what are we supposed to do about these oaths if he does come back? I love the Corps...always have. But..."

"I know. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Doctor Lam?" A technician appeared at the door of Lam's office. "The latest report is in concerning those two stasis pods that were found in the UK."

Carolynne Lam held out her hand for the printed paperwork. Her eyes scanned over the words. A few months back SG-1, had gone to explore the possibility of an Ancient...'No, Alterian,' she corrected herself...treasure room located under Glastonbury Tor. A former Goa'uld and black market trader named Vala, had brought the information about its possible location to Daniel Jackson.

Vala tricked Daniel and linked him to her with some Goa'uld 'marriage' bracelets, making the pair unable to be more than a few yards away from each other without falling unconscious.

Under the mound where the Tor was located were ancient riddles and traps which the team, led by Cameron Mitchell, nearly failed to solve. As per usual for SG-1, they narrowly managed to avert disaster when the place began to collapse; after Colonel Mitchell was forced to duel a holographic knight.

Once revealed however, much of the treasure was typical of what one might find in an Indiana Jones film...but there were a few items that clearly did not belong. The first of which was a book that Jackson had honed in on immediately. Another item appeared to be a device that utilized the Alterian Communication Stones found on a previous mission. These stones allowed a person to swap bodies with someone who had a linked stone in another place. The device found allowed the person's consciousness to travel even farther outside of the suspected range.

Unfortunately for Daniel and Vala, the stones took their consciousness to a distant galaxy and nearly got them burned alive; while the SGC worked to disconnect them from the device. It also opened the door to a new, unexpected enemy for the entire Milky Way Galaxy, called the Ori.

A technical team from Area 51 took charge of the rest of the cleanup and cataloguing of items under the Tor, while the SGC dealt with more pressing issues. It wasn't until almost a month later, that they uncovered a hidden room containing two stasis pods.

In one, was a blond man in chainmail and a red cloak similar to what Major Dallon and his friend had when they were rescued. The techs' at Area 51 had not been privy to the reports on Dallon's return, so they had no idea of a possible link to recent SGC activity. The other held a dark-skinned woman and a child, who they surmised to be around a year in age. The energy sources for the pods were nearly depleted, and no one wanted to open them until they had a better idea what they would be dealing with.

A few years prior, a woman had been found in the ice of Antarctica. She was the last remaining Ancient they knew of at the time. Sadly, she had died not long after from a disease the humans had no knowledge of. The techs first priority was to stabilize the energy to the pods. After that was done, many other crises arose that required more immediate attention...such as deployment of the Mark IX "Gatebuster", a Naquadria-enhanced nuclear warhead, along with the ship Prometheus...in an attempt to shut down the building of a Supergate from the Ori's galaxy to the Milky Way.

When the reports of the stasis pods had finally crossed Lam's desk, the SGC's doctor nearly fainted. There was no description of people actually being in the pods.

The only thing in the mumbo-jumbo of the badly written report that even led her to realize there was something worth looking into, was the mention of a "subject" visually showing symptoms of the Bubonic Plague.

Her former work, as an Air Force Liaison to the Center for Disease Control, had Lam jumping into action and ridiculing everyone in the chain of command at Area 51 for their callousness. It took a lot of work to get through all the red tape, but she had the pods moved to the SGC. For the past two weeks her own staff had been working around the clock, in an attempt determine what sort of precautions were needed to open the stasis pods.

Lam was also waiting for Major Dallon to be cleared for Active Duty, before bringing him in on the effort. She had consulted with the psychiatrist on base, and the woman had recommended waiting until Dallon was secure in his return. The woman felt that if he was able to recognize the costume of the blond man, it could either help, or hurt his own mental progress. Lam didn't like keeping him out of the loop, and told her father...who happened to be General Hank Landry...on several occasions. Unfortunately, when it came to things like a psychiatric evaluation, even his hands were somewhat tied.

Carolynne's mind worked over what she read in the reports. All three occupants were confirmed as being definitely human, not Alterian. She breathed a sigh of relief. Humans she could treat...alien lifeforms were a completely different matter sometimes. The woman and child appeared to have been in rather good health prior to contracting the Plague. After doing research, she realized that the first cases of the Plague in the UK were around the late sixth century. That information coincided with what she already suspected, that these people were linked the Major.

As long as a proper quarantine was in place, and antibiotics were at the ready, the woman and child would soon be freed from their state of suspended animation. The problem would come in trying to explain to them what was going on...if they survived the transition and the heavy medication, which sadly, didn't always work.

There was also no way to tell for certain, how far along they were in the progression of the disease until they were released from stasis.

All of that didn't worry the doctor as much as the blond man did. His chainmail armor obstructed most of the scanning equipment available to them, including some modified from alien technology.

Dried blood and a break in the mail, was visible near the man's abdomen, but other than that, Lam could find nothing wrong with him. She worried about the position of his suspected injury and what internal damage there may be associated with it.

Sighing heavily, she set the reports aside. Major Dallon would be returning to his first full day of work tomorrow. The three people in the pods had waited this long, one more night wouldn't make a difference.

* * *

_**AN: So...two fangirls nearly died after reading the prologue to part 2... hehehe wonder how many I could get if I wrote a shower scene with Gwaine...hmmm**_

_**Thank you Tholey, TiP, IcarusLSU, and Nance for the reviews!**_

_**As always special thanks to the last two for beta flow reading and proofreading. I know the two of you get to see this before it's posted, but as you know, things always change just before the final upload :-) So, it's wonderful as always to still read your reactions to the finished chapters.**_


	11. Part 2: Chapter 2

Laney held out a cup of coffee for her brother, as he came into the kitchen. Fresh from a shower after his morning run, he accepted it with a tired smile. "Back to the grind tomorrow?" She asked rhetorically.

"Yeah, General Landry gave me the day off to recoup from the party, before I get back to the grind." He slid down onto a chair at the harvest table in the kitchen. The dark stained planks of wood told a story with every fork mark, ding, and cup ring. It had been in Boyd's family for a few generations and still was as strong a table as one could imagine.

"You didn't drink as much as I thought you would." Laney commented. She smoothed her hair back and wrapped it with an elastic band. Pouring a cup for herself, she sat down across from Gwaine. The house was quiet. The boys were off to school for the day and old Boyd was out tinkering with something in the barn.

Gwaine shrugged away his sister's observation. In high school, he drank rather heavily...at least until he wrecked his bike. That had been a wake up call for him at that time. He never gave up drinking, but the alcohol flowed a lot slower, and he tried to be a lot more responsible when he did. When he was flung into the past to a place where there were no police or laws against drinking and riding a horse, he'd allowed himself to fall back into the bottle...or tankard as it were. That was, until he met Merlin.

"I heard you out on the porch last night." She met her brother's eyes. "I assume that was your friend, Colonel Emrys, you were talking to?"

He grunted in reply.

"Come on, Gwaine...please."

"Laney, I'm fine." He smiled at his sister, trying to show her she had nothing to worry about. He had given that same response to her too many times in the past few months.

"No, you're not. Something got you rattled last night." After a few minutes, she realized that he wasn't going to respond. "She was pretty."

"Who?"

"Lt. Colonel Carter. Is she the one you were gushing over before everything happened?" Laney's brown eyes lit up with mischief.

"Gushing? No...well, maybe," he laughed and took another sip from his coffee cup. "We've known each other since I was first stationed here. It was around the same time she arrived too. We had a few shared lunches on Post. Then I finally get her to agree to a real date, and look what happened."

"I was talking with her some. She said she's still single. You should ask her out again. Maybe it would help you get over that bitch whose ass I can't kick for you."

He almost lost his grip on his coffee cup. Eyeing his sister suspiciously, he asked, "What do you know about her?"

"I overheard Colonel Emrys and Dr. Jones talking when you were still in the hospital. So, not much...other than she betrayed you guys somehow, and broke my baby brother's heart."

Gwaine pushed himself up and moved towards the coffee pot. He refilled his cup and stood, staring out the window towards the barn. The house was an old Sears Bungalow built sometime around 1920 from a catalogue kit that cost just under five grand. It had been modified and updated over the years, so now only the front of the house resembled the original "Bandon" design. The barn was just as old, and the doors needed repair before winter. He tried to settle his mind on what all he needed to do, but it kept circling back to her.

"Eira," he said finally.

"Sorry?"

"Her name was Eira. Gorgeous blond curls, big blue eyes..."

"So, just your type."

"I don't have a type," he protested.

"Bullshit. You may flirt like hell with any woman you come across, but it's those blonds you always end up dating."

He laughed but couldn't argue with her logic when he thought about it. "They really had you sign the forms?" He asked, referring to the non-disclosure forms the military had all their civilian contractors sign. It was a standard legal paper trail, stating that anything of a classified nature was not to be discussed with anyone who wasn't cleared. If caught, it would mean possible jail time, or worse.

"Yeah, it took all afternoon yesterday. I guess your shrink, which I'm glad to hear you're seeing, agreed it would be a good thing."

"I thought that stuff was supposed to be confidential?" He rolled his eyes in an exaggerated motion. "Alright, fine. You're going to think I'm bloody nuts," he warned his sister.

She smiled, "Well, that's nothing new. So...spill!"

Gwaine stared at the floor before he finally asked, "Do you believe in aliens?"

"Like the illegal ones, or the little green men from Mars?"

He sputtered into his coffee. "They're actually gray, and they're not from Mars."

Laney's face was blank while she tried to determine if her younger sibling was serious, or just pulling her leg.

"Told ya, you were going to think I'd gone bonkers."

She held up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, fine. So aliens exist. I can...believe that. No, seriously, I can Gwaine! What, were you on some alien planet a while back, when all the stars disappeared, and then the weather went wonky? There's been a whole lot of other inexplicable shit since then, too. Plus...rumors of a space ship blasting a hole in Antarctica..."

Gwaine snorted, "Cameron tried to get himself killed in that one."

"Why does that not surprise me? So, are you going to come sit back down and talk to me?"

"Alright." He moved back to the table and began to tell her the basics of the Stargate Program. The Stargate itself created stable wormholes that allowed people and objects to be transported to different planets. Gwaine attempted to explain how a solar flare had caused the wormhole he was traveling through, to become unpredictable, and spat him out somewhere in the past.

"WHOA! I thought you said you dealt with aliens...now, you're telling me you actually time travelled and were stuck in the Dark Ages? To quote Toby: W.T.F.?!"

"You really want me to get into the technical jargon of it all?"

"Hell no."

"Then just shut up and listen." Gwaine squirmed when he was pinned with his sister's 'glare of death'.

They spent the day drinking far too much coffee, while Gwaine told his sister some of his better memories over the past years. She noticed he steered away from anything too emotional. She shut her mouth with an audible snap when she realized her joke about the 'Round Table' months before, really wasn't that far off the mark. Finally, after looking at the clock, Laney realized the bus would be dropping off her boys soon.

"So, you want to tell me about this Eira chick, before the kids get home?" She asked, bringing the conversation around again.

"I'd finally given up the idea of ever coming back home when I met her. Actually, I was happy to do it. She was the perfect damsel in distress...but could still hold her own against a Saxon. I fell hard for her. In less than two weeks I was beginning to plan for a real future there, even with the war going on." His voice dropped. "Then the Battle of Camlann happened. Arthur fell. He was taken away by a friend who hoped to save him, and the rest of us returned to Camelot. We realized someone was passing information, and the queen suspected it was Eira.

"I fed her some false information and later that night, I caught her sending a bird to Morgana..."

He took a deep breath, determined to tell Laney what happened next. It was a part of the story Gwaine had yet to disclose to the psychiatrist. "The next morning...she was hung."

Laney gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Gwaine...I...oh, god..." Reining in her own emotions, she stuck her chin out and proclaimed, "Bitch got off too easy."

"What?"

"Oh, you don't even want to imagine what I would have done to her. A hanging was the easy way out."

Gwaine surprised himself by chuckling, "Yeah, I suppose she did." It was the first time he felt something other than the heartache and regret, when thinking about those final days. Even though Eira was able to knock out a Saxon with a makeshift wooden club, the blond lass would have been no match for his spitfire of a sister.

"Ah, hell."

Gwaine's eyes narrowed, wondering what was going through his sister's mind.

"If I would have known, I might not have invited Sam over for dinner tonight."

"Bloody hell, Laney! You did what?"

"Well, it's not as if I knew what happened! I thought some gal had just broken your heart. I didn't know she died!"

The conversation ended as three boys came barging into the house.

"Uncle Gwaine! You got company!" Greg hollered as he threw down his backpack on the living room floor, and joined his brothers in a race to the kitchen.

"HEY! Pick that up! Sheesh! If you want to act like you live in a barn, I have no qualms about moving your beds out there!" Gwaine yelled, addressing all three of them and the trail left behind. He moved through the kitchen doorway, expecting to see Samantha Carter at the door, although it was still a bit early for dinner.

Instead, the dark-haired man standing with a tote in his hand, was a welcome surprise. Merlin was chuckling at the rarely seen paternal side of his friend.

"Damn it, Laney, UPS mixed it up again. It's not that mail-order bride you ordered for me..."

Merlin opened his mouth to say something, but ended up laughing as a potholder smacked Gwaine in the head.

**(*~*~*~*)**

As it turned out, Sam called a few minutes later expressing her regret that she would be unable to join them for dinner. An emergency had arisen at the Base. Gwaine asked if he needed to go in. Carter told him that it probably wouldn't be necessary, but to keep his phone on, just in case.

Laney shooed the boys out of the house to go check on their great-grandfather and do their chores. Gwaine grabbed a couple of soda cans from the 'fridge and tossed one to Merlin. "Wow, your catching skills have improved," he commented, as he led Merlin through the house to the back porch. "So...what are you doing here?"

Merlin shrugged and took a seat. "After the wake-up call this morning, it sounded like you needed a friend. Martha left for Germany yesterday, and I saw no point in staying in New York by myself. I'm actually starting to regret taking semi-retirement from UNIT. I'd been at the same desk for nearly three decades...but now I'm getting a bit bored just loafing around the house. Hope you don't mind."

"Never. I have a hard time picturing you being a couch potato. How's married life treating you?"

Merlin gave him a goofy grin that didn't need explanation. "How are you holding up?"

"Eh, doing alright. You plan on sticking around long?" Gwaine asked.

"Until you get sick of me, or Martha comes looking. Have you talked to Percival lately?"

"Yeah, he seems to be fitting in quite well with that Torchwood group...once he straightened things out with Captain Harkness."

"I saw the video of the wedding reception, finally."

"What do you mean, finally? You were there when it happened."

Merlin nodded, "I was, but I...something else happened right about that same time...lke a wave of power rolling through the land. I can't really describe it, but things are going to be changing soon."

"Oh?" Gwaine sat forward. His face betrayed the concern over his friend's words.

"It's not like it's anything we can prepare for, but just a..."

"'Funny feeling'?...As Arthur would have called it."

"Yeah. Something like that. Right before he'd call me a girl."

"Well, I'm sure Martha can set him straight on that issue, if he does return."

"I was thinking about what you asked me. If what is coming is as big as I fear, then I don't think we're going to have to worry about one vow or oath over another. We're probably in positions which can help unite them all."

Gwaine's lips pursed. He had a sudden flash of insight with the current enemy that had begun to make itself known in the galaxy. "Have you heard of the Ori?"

Merlin shook his head. "I haven't."

"The scuttlebutt around the Base is they are making anything the SGC has faced before, look like pansies. I'm surprised UNIT and Torchwood aren't involved with the IOA on it."

The blue-eyed man shrugged, "For the most part, Torchwood Institute handles the day-to-day comings and goings in the UK. Torchwood Three, where Percival is, spends most of its time dealing with the interdimensional Rift in the time-space continuum around Cardiff. UNIT is a bit more widespread around the globe. We typically leave anything out further in the galaxy to the SGC. The IOA is supposed to keep us informed...and they may well have, but remember, I told you I work for more of a paranormal division...Or I did, until I left just before the wedding. If Martha heard anything, she hasn't told me about it."

"Hey Gwaine, want to call Boyd and the boys in for dinner?" Laney yelled from the kitchen.

**(*~*~*~*)**

After dinner the kids were finally in their rooms with their homework. Pops was flipping channels in the living room and Elaine had her sewing machine set up in the dining room, working on Gwaine's uniforms.

Laney had bought the new insignia after signing the massive amounts of paperwork with Walter on the day of Gwaine's promotion, so he'd be ready when he walked into work the following day.

Merlin had originally planned to stay in a hotel, but that was unheard of in Gwaine's family. Even if they were not expected, guests weren't allowed to stay in a hotel when a room was available. Of course, Toby didn't realize until after dinner, that it was his room that was being offered and like a typical teenager, had thrown a massive fit at the thought of bunking with his brother.

The ancient warlock had tried to argue the case that he would be perfectly okay in a hotel, and had watched the teenager with uneasy eyes.

"What's wrong Merlin? You act like you've never seen a teenager have a tizzy-fit before." Gwaine commented, as he made his way through the old barn, with Merlin following him around. The former knight was determined to try and get the doors back in their tracks, before he ran out of time. In Colorado, where there was sunshine more than three-hundred days a year, an outsider would think that there would be plenty of time left to fix things up. The catch was that in the fall and winter months, there could be a full-blown blizzard roaring through, and you'd still be able to see the sun.

"Gwaine, I haven't really been around kids since my own. I mean, I do some volunteer storytelling and such from time to time...but that about covers it. Are you sure you don't want me to help you with these doors?"

Gwaine laughed as he pulled out a ladder. "Naw, I've got it. So you did have kids at one point though?"

"Didn't I tell you about them?" Merlin pursed his lips, trying to recall all the conversations over the phone. Gwaine shook his head and set up the ladder next to the large sliding doors. "Yeah, uh...Mithian and I had two kids."

"Whoa! Mithian...as in the Princess of Nemeth, Mithian?" His eyes were nearly popping out of his head as he considered the idea. In the logical part of his mind, he knew a lot of time had passed, but his senses were still conflicted. It seemed like only a year or so ago, when they had gone on a mission to rescue King Rodor, Mithian's father, from Odin and Morgana.

"Yes." The years in Nemeth had been such a wonderful time in his life. Even with the loss of Camelot, his wife and their children had given him so much hope.

Gwaine sputtered, "You married Mithian? Two kids...wow."

"That was before we realized I wasn't aging. After that..." Merlin's face was strained as he thought over the reasoning for the decision he had made so long ago. "I can't even rightfully recall why I chose to never have any more children with anyone else. I think it was because it was too hard watching them grow up...and grow old...or something."

"Did they have any offspring?" Gwaine asked, trying to draw more out of his friend, while he struggled with the door.

"Are you certain you wouldn't..."

"No." Gwaine cut him off. He was stubbornly determined to fix the barn on his own.

Merlin chuckled and continued, "Yes, they did. I actually followed one of the lines of some of the kids and grandkids, and such, for generations. It was only a few decades ago that I finally lost track. I'm sure there are more of my descendants out there, but they all seem so distant to me now. Just strangers passing on the streets.

"Sometimes I'd actually try and become a part of their lives, either as some crazy distant uncle, or just a friendly neighbor. The last one I did that with, was a girl named Nancy...maybe half a century ago. She was a sweet child who loved hearing an old man's stories. The ones about you mostly..." Merlin paused, recalling what Gwaine had said about being named after himself. He noticed his friend was staring at him blankly. "What was your mother's name?"

Gwaine clucked his tongue and stared down at Merlin from the ladder. "Nancy...and she was one-hundred percent Brit. Webster was her maiden name, if that's what you're going to ask next."

The look on Merlin's face said it all. Gwaine began laughing so hard, he lost his balance on the ladder and began to fall. Merlin easily reached out with his magic and caught his friend...and descendant, lowering him safely to the ground.

The sound of a tongue clicking against teeth had them spinning towards the side door of the barn.

Laney stared at the two of them for a moment. She held up her hands when her brother opened his mouth. "I'm going to go pour myself a rather large whiskey. I am then going to have a cigarette. AH! Don't you dare interrupt me right now!' She pointed an accusing finger at her brother before he could utter a single syllable. "That will give you boys a chance to get your stories straight, before you come and tell me what the hell I just saw." She spun on her heel and walked back towards the house.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Fingernails drummed out an unsteady rhythm on the half-filled glass of amber alcohol. The fingers of the other hand held a smoldering white cigarette, the smoke from the end of it curling up and dissipating into the night sky.

Elaine had gone into the barn with a purpose...but what that was, she couldn't recall. Knowing that her brother was working on fixing the tracks which allowed the main doors of the barn to slide open and close, she'd gone through the smaller side door. She could hear her brother and his friend talking, although only the last clip of their conversation reached her ears. Gwaine was talking about their mother.

As she came around the corner, listening to her brother cackling, Laney had full view of the ladder as it wobbled under him. Her heart stopped and she didn't even have time to yell a warning, before Gwaine was falling from the top of the twelve-foot A-Frame.

Then time stopped...or slowed...or something...

Aliens? Well, everyone in the modern world had some sort of theory about them, so it wasn't too much of a shock to hear that her brother worked with some.

Time travel? She'd watched enough science fiction movies over the years to have a clue; plus what Gwaine had told her earlier in the day finally made sense. It explained some of his speech and mannerisms since his return.

No...what she saw in the barn was different. Laney knew that; somewhere deep in her soul. The instant fear that her brother...recently returned to her life, would suddenly being taken from it again by an act as simple as falling from a ladder...was etched on her heart.

In that moment, her mind had barely registered the glow in Colonel Emrys' eyes. Now, it played that memory in HD, over and over again.

Hearing and seeing were two completely different animals. She inhaled deeply from the end of her cigarette, blowing the smoke out through her nostrils. Lifting the glass, she registered the clinking of ice against the walls of the container, as she put it to her lips.

Half-lidded brown eyes watched, as the two men came sheepishly out of the barn towards the porch. Laney had pushed past the spike of initial fear and was now bordering on anger...an outlet for the rush of adrenaline as her body responded to the near-crisis she had witnessed.

"Sit," she ordered them. Her voice was low and soft, not unlike the tone she used when her sons were in serious trouble. "What the hell did I see in there?"

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck, a guilty smirk on his face.

Gwaine's lips were twitching, as he tried to decide the best way to explain. "Well, you know those stories Mom used to tell us, about King Arthur and Merlin and all that..."

"Yes. Also, I remember what you told me earlier today about it." Her tone held no room for joking.

"Um...yeah. I think I might have left out the part where this is the real 'Merlin'...and he has magic."

"I see." Laney's eyes shifted from her brother to other man.

"Oh yeah, and he's also our ancestor?"

"Are you asking me, or telling me?"

"Uh..." Gwaine took ahold of Merlin by the shoulders and placed the thinner man in between him and his sister. With an encouraging pat on Merlin's back, Gwaine smiled, "He can explain."

"Way to throw your buddy under the bus, Gwaine!"

"I concur." Merlin agreed, glaring backwards over his shoulder.

* * *

_**AN: As a small way to honor my amazing proof-reader, her name is now immortalized in this story. Oh and did you know Nance is a diminutive from the medieval name Annis? Kinda cool, huh? :D**_

_**Anyhoo- I'm about 4 chapters ahead in writing this, and 1 ahead in editing, but I'm an evil person so I'm going to stick to just posting one every couple of days. PLUS OMG OMG OMG my muses came back with a vengeance for Lord of Beasts! YIPEE! And now with my kid in school, I should be able to work on both stories.**_

_**Quick welcome to Mergana Pendragon and CarolynneRuth who have just started reading and reviewing this story. (although they are still on earlier chapters) I would HIGHLY recommend checking out CarolynneRuth's story 'Forgotten Lives' It is a very unique and beautifully done take on a Merlin reincarnation fic, that I just LOVE! The military aspect helped to inspire a bit of my own story.**_

_**Flamie: please don't die...I already killed off two other fangirls this week with Gwaine running half-naked. LOL (*starts singing* dun dun dun...another one bites the dust)**_

_**IcarusLSU: So glad I have you for an idea bouncer...especially with the new 'King of Rock' rabid plot squirrel that escaped this morning.**_

_**Nance: You already know you rock! And yes there was probably pickled eggs.**_

_**TiP: hehe a few more chapters until that might happen.**_

_**Aerist: hmmm I wonder how it fits together too! hehe**_

_**Tholey: I love the lengthy reviews! Your words and enthusiasm just brighten my day!**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	12. Part 2: Chapter 3

He walked into work with a spring in his step. His pride had swelled that morning as he donned his uniform, with the new leaves gracing the corners of the collar. Gwaine made his way to Landry's office to receive his new orders. He rapped on the door and pushed it open, when he heard the general's voice.

The newly-made Marine Major felt as if this, more than anything else, was going to solidify his return to the twenty-first century. Merlin had remained at the house, which Gwaine felt a slight bit of guilt about, as it meant the ancient warlock was going to be subjected to Laney's questions all day. His sister had listened to a brief explanation the night before on Merlin's magic, and how he appeared to be immortal. After a while, they had all felt exhaustion creeping in, and called it a night.

"Ah, Major Dallon, come right in." Landry waved off a salute and motioned to the chair opposite his own. "How are you feeling?"

"Rearing to go, Sir."

"Good! Now, before we get too caught up in things, I should tell you that I have denied both your and Colonel Mitchell's request for placement with SG-1."

"Sir?" Gwaine questioned. His eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"There're a few reasons behind it, which I don't really need to explain to you, because it's my place to give orders and your's to take them. However, I'm in a sharing mood, so I will.

"First off, traditionally SG-1 has been an Air Force team, not Marines...but I don't really give a hootin' nanny about that. The fact of the matter is, if I placed you in SG-1, it would be like throwing you into the deep end of the pool, with a bunch of wild sharks swimming around your ankles, and you not having a clue on how to do more than doggy paddle. You get my meaning?"

Gwaine nodded. He honestly felt he could hold his own if he was with the elite team under Mitchell's command, but he bit his tongue and kept listening.

"Another, is the issue of fraternization. It seems Lt. Col. Carter may be coming back to the SGC. I make it my place to know the people under my command, and I know the two of you dated in the past. "

"It was one date to a rock concert!" Gwaine protested. He rolled his eyes. "If I was on the same team with her, it wouldn't be an issue, Sir."

Landry shrugged, "Well, I'm assigning you to SG-18 for the time being. I believe you already know Lt. Colonel Reeves from your previous team?" The general continued without waiting for a response. "They're currently on a mission and should be back next week. That should give you time to catch up on their mission reports. Any which way, the slots on SG-1 are now filled. You'll just have to wait and prove to me that you deserve it, Major."

Landry looked around his desk, as if lost for a moment. He opened his mouth to yell out the secondary door to his office.

"Third down in the stack of folders to your right hand side, Sir!" Came the response from Walter, before the general could ask the question.

"Thank you, Walter!" Landry sifted through the clutter and pulled out the file he wanted. Tossing it in front of Gwaine, he said, "Now, I think this might hold a bit more interest for you than even your team placement."

His eyes initially skimmed the page absently, until he noticed the picture of a certain crest...a golden dragon on a red background. He felt his pulse speed up, and he took more care in reading the words on the pages. No other photographs accompanied the file, but he didn't need them.

"Well?" Landry prompted, after a decent amount of time had passed. "Are you interested in seeing more about this?"

He nodded, unable to immediately find his voice. Clearing his throat, he managed to ask, "These pods were found in Glastonbury?"

"Yep. There's a whole system of tunnels under the hill there. The room these were found in, was from an offshoot that ran out under a nearby lake. You think you might know them?"

Shaking his head, partially to answer his CO, but also in disbelief at what his mind was telling him. "I don't know, Sir."

"Let's go down to the quarantine room and take a look then, shall we?"

Gwaine followed silently. One thought playing through his mind: he needed to call Merlin. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until later, after he saw with his own eyes just who was being kept in stasis. From what he had learned from past Stargate missions, it was to never take the reports at face value. For all he knew, it could be some alien race, like the Alterans, posing as a people from Camelot to hide from their fellow Ascended beings. It could be holographic projections inside the pods, giving off the signatures of human life...so many possibilities.

General Landry led the way through a door into an observation room above the quarantined area. A glass wall on one side was angled outward to give a bird's eye view of the medical team below.

Gwaine felt his knees begin to shake.

Two steel-colored, oblong pods laid side by side below. Vast amounts of machinery surrounded them. Square windows on the tops allowed him to see the contents.

Like glass coffins, the pods held three unmoving forms. In the first one, surrounded by a few technicians and Dr. Lam, were a woman and child. Long black curls fell regally around coffee-toned skin and highlighted the thin gold circlet on her brow. The child was young, and appeared contently asleep with his mother's arm cradling him against her red velvet gown, encrusted with gems and embroidered with golden thread.

He noticed her hands, or to be more precise, the discoloration of them. His eyes narrowed as he saw the child had similar blackening of the skin. He flipped open the file and re-read the part about the woman and child. Bubonic Plague. It confirmed what he already knew...what Merlin had described to him.

Gwaine took a breath and forced his eyes over to the second pod. His heart stopped. One glance, and he knew without a doubt, the identity of the man who laid inside.

He was trembling. The trembles turned into shaking, as his head began to spin with a wave of dizziness. Gwaine scrunched his face and forced his emotions aside. "With your permission, Sir, I'd like to call Colonel Emrys in on this."

"The guy from UNIT?"

Gwaine nodded, "He has..." he tried to think of how to explain it. "...information on their conditions before they were placed in stasis."

"So, I take it you do know these people. Dr. Lam was just about ready to begin extrication of the woman and child from the pod. How soon do you think he can get here?"

"About an hour, Sir. He's out at my place."

"I'll send a car." Landry moved to a nearby intercom. "Dr. Lam, hold off for a bit before you begin with the pod."

Lam looked up, realizing for the first time that there were people in the observation room. She nodded her acknowledgement. Her eyes glanced over to Major Dallon, her heart broke seeing the look on his face. Leaving her crew in the room, she made her way out the door and up the stairs to the observation room. Relief filled her mind; hopeful that she could kill two birds with one stone...finding out who these people were, and letting Major Dallon know she was going to do everything in her power to help them.

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Oh my god! Will you teach my brother?"

"Uh...no."

"Please?"

"No." Merlin chuckled and shook his head.

"I'll pay you!"

Merlin shook his head again.

Laney was not above begging and whining. "Why not?"

"He just doesn't have the necessary skill set or patience to learn it. Look, I've been doing this all my life. It's not really something I can teach to just anyone. I really have tried."

"Have you really ever tried to teach my brother?"

"I thought about it, but it just wasn't my place."

"Merlin, please...you've smelled those socks of his. If you could ever find a way...it would be like...magic!"

Merlin was nearly doubled over with laughter. "I admit I did try to teach him how to do laundry once, but...it just didn't take." He tried to put on a straight face as he picked up another bundle of clothes, and begin to fold them.

"What happened?"

"He found the only tub with blue dye in the room and put his red cloak in it. After that, I was done."

"He did that on purpose, you know, so he wouldn't have to do it again."

"It worked."

Merlin's cell phone rang. "Speak of the devil." He answered it with a hushed voice. "Help me...your sister is wanting me to teach you how to wash your socks!"

"That's nice." The voice on the other end deadpanned.

Immediately sobering from the laughter, Merlin asked, "What happened?"

He heard his friend draw a shaking breath and clear his throat. "General Landry is going to be sending a car for you."

"Gwaine?..." Merlin pressed. Laney had stopped matching socks and gave the warlock a worried look. "Why? What is it?"

"I can't really tell you over the phone...but it's happening...what we talked about. He's here, Merlin. All three of them are."

He folded the towel in his hand mechanically, and set it on the pile. His face filled with shadows of emotional upheaval. "Don't bother with the car. It will be quicker if I just teleport."

"Merlin, this place is filled with people and equipment. What if you land on someone?...or something?" Gwaine wasn't sure exactly how his friend's skill worked.

"If you'll let me, I can tap into your mind and see the place where you are. I'll work my magic from there. Let me get a few things and then I'll let you know when I'm ready, alright?"

He could sense Gwaine nod on the other end, just before he disconnected.

"Is everything okay?" Laney asked. Her hands were wringing with worry.

"Gwaine's fine. What we hadn't told you yet, is something very few people know about...and the reason I believe he and I were brought back together." His voice was distant as he spoke, almost as if he was confirming it to himself, more than explaining it to Elaine. "I was once told that someday the Once and Future King would rise again. It was my duty to wait and prepare for that day. I've done the best I could..and when I thought that it was just for Albion...England...it was much easier. Now, with the world the way it is...I don't know...Gwaine thinks that Arthur is there."

Laney reached out and took Merlin's hand. "You'll figure it out, between the two of you."

He returned the gesture, grateful for her support. "I need to call Martha before I go."

With that, he excused himself from the room and rang his wife. If he remembered correctly, she should be getting off work in Berlin, where she had gone to consult on something for UNIT. He listened to the Dubstep ringback tone she had programed, and waited for her to answer.

"'Allo love, I was just thinking about you. How's Colorado?"

Merlin smiled despite the insecurity he currently felt. "I miss you." Although he had six other wives before her, other than Mithian, he couldn't recall having felt so strongly about any of them. He certainly hadn't shared as much about his life and his secrets, with someone in such a short time period, as he did with her. Perhaps it was the fact that she didn't even blink, when he confessed his true age. Or maybe, it was because she was already so used to the supernatural aspects of the world, that she took what he said at face value and never questioned his history. Whatever it was, something about her brought him a measure of calm that he desperately needed.

"I just wanted to hear your voice." He confessed to her.

Her keen perception of nearly every nuance in his voice still astounded him. "It's happening, isn't it?"

"I think so."

"Hey," he could practically hear the smile that lit up on her face. "It's exciting right? To finally be done waiting."

"Yeah..." He felt a full-blown grin forming. She didn't ask if he was alright, or try to mother him in anyway. Nor did she demand that he tell her every detail. He thought when the moment finally came, he would be an emotional wreck. He had anticipated this moment for so long, it was akin to a raw wound in his soul. With just a few words from his wife, he felt a weight had lifted off of his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Martha asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"I would say be the best wife I could ever hope to find in the entire universe...but you already nailed that. So, I guess it would be to find out everything you can about some aliens called the Ori. Gwaine seems to think they're going to be a problem...and if Elvis really has returned..."

She giggled at the inside joke. "I'll get right on it.

* * *

_**Thank you so much for the reviews!**_

_**Nance: YW :D and thank you! Hmm actually hadn't thought about any of them having magic. Glad you now like Laney, I know you were a bit frustrated with her the first time around. Amazing how a person can change a bit once they have some help :)**_

_**Icarus: Yeah a person can only take so much...Thanks as always for the support! And no, no, no, no, no! To the other 'rock' thing that was mentioned yesterday.**_

_**TiP: LOL Ok minor coronary...I'll have to up my game next time ;) I'm sure there will be a lot of confusion coming and attitude adjustments all around hehe.**_

_**Aerist: Yes! To what we talked about, OMG I can't wait to see what you come up with! Gonna be GORGEOUS! I think Laney will be fine, it was just a bit of an overwhelming day for her, and the magic was icing on the cake. **_

_**Tholey: OMG I woke up and had a big smile as I read your review over some hot tea. I know the beginning of the chapter was similar to the previous one, but you and others seemed to need another Gwaine visual LOL. **_

_**As I said before, I'm a few chapters ahead in this...however I still haven't decided how I'm going to wake up sleeping beauty...erm Arthur. Going back and forth with a few ideas, so we'll see how it turns out hehe **_


	13. Part 2: Chapter 4

**_Quick AN: tissues might be needed_**

* * *

_"I am the voice of the past that will always be._

_Filled with my sorrows and blood in my fields._

_I am the voice of the future,_

_Bring me your peace,_

_Bring me your peace and my wounds...they will heal."_

_~Eimear Quinn, "I am the Voice" _

* * *

Gwaine wasn't pacing. He wasn't crying, ranting, raving, fidgeting, twitching, or giving off any other sort of emotion one might expect from the normally flamboyant and extroverted man. He was sitting, absolutely still in a chair with his hands folded under his chin; his elbows resting on his knees. Brown eyes stared down into the room below. He thought briefly about calling Percival, but he didn't know what he might tell his friend. Deciding it was better to wait for Merlin, Gwaine had simply sat down.

He listened as Dr. Lam explained her prognosis, and her plans for releasing at least the woman and child. Gwaine confirmed for her that they were indeed mother and son. He also admitted to knowing them, although for an explanation to why they were put into the stasis would have to wait until Colonel Emrys arrived.

Landry rocked back and forth between the balls of his feet and his heels. His hands were stuffed into his pockets as he listened to the major. "So..." he said, becoming a bit impatient. "Who are they?"

Gwaine took a deep breath. "King Arthur of Camelot, and his wife Guinevere. The child is her son, but I never even knew the queen was expecting when I was extracted from that time period."

"How do you know for certain it is her child then?" Dr. Lam asked.

"Because Merlin told me she had a son, about nine months after the Battle of Camlann."

Landry's eyebrows rose. He glanced at Dr. Lam and then back at Dallon. "Merlin...as in the wizard?"

Gwaine grimaced, "Yes. Sir, I should probably inform you that Colonel "Merl" Emrys is actually the real Merlin...and he's going to be in a right state when he gets here, so you might want to prepare yourselves."

"...And what should we prepare for?" Lam asked, her face betraying the confusion she felt.

"It's Merlin...so, who the hell knows." Gwaine chuckled to himself.

The door to the observation room opened and Mitchell entered, followed by Doctor Daniel Jackson. Gwaine's eyes flicked briefly towards his friend, before returning to their vigil over the pods.

Mitchell greeted General Landry. "Sir, I just heard you decided to stick Dallon here with SG-18, what gives?"

Landry sighed, "I already explained my reasoning, Colonel Mitchell. Besides, I think Major Dallon here is going to be a bit busy assisting with Dr. Lam's project, and dealing with the people in the pods down there. It seems they're rather famous historical figures."

Daniel's eyes lit up. He adjusted the wire-rim glasses on his face. "Really? I've been trying to figure out who they are for weeks."

"The blond princess is King Arthur of Camelot." Gwaine said, finally standing up and turning away from the windows.

"No, I don't think so." Daniel replied with certainty.

"Well, Dr. Jackson, I know the man personally and that is King Arthur."

"From what we've been able to ascertain, the real King Arthur was most likely an Ascended Ancient, and from Dr. Lam's study of that man there...he's human."

Gwaine's eyes widened. He pursed lips together. "Yes...he's human, and he's the real deal."

Daniel sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Perhaps you think he is...or that's who he told you he was. However, trust me, I doubt that is the real "Arthur"." Daniel gave Gwaine a very patronizing look.

Gwaine scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Listen, according to the book I found in the tunnels under Glastonbury, it talked about the Once and Future King returning...I'm positive King Arthur was an Ancient known as Ambrosius Aurelianus..."

"Bloody freaking hell! Are you for real?" Gwaine turned to Cameron. "No offense, Colonel Mitchell, but I'm glad I didn't get assigned to SG-1, if this is what I'd have to deal with."

"Um...None taken...I think. Look, I know Dr. Jackson here is an acquired taste, I will admit." Cameron had spent many evenings when he was on Earth, hanging out with Gwaine over the past few months, including helping him unpack from the move. He even made a trip up north to get Boyd's orange Scout and drive back. He got to hear first hand some of the stuff his buddy had been through. "...BUT! It still would have been nice to have you on the team, and I think after awhile you guys would get along."

Gwaine took a deep breath and held out his hands, palms facing downward. He turned back towards the archeologist. "I served for nearly five years under that man. I was knighted while Arthur was the prince regent when King Uther had taken ill." His voice lowered and he closed the couple of steps between himself and Jackson, almost threateningly. "I know who he is."

"I suppose next you're going to say the woman is Queen Guinevere?" Daniels voice dripped with sarcasm.

Gwaine looked like he was ready to burst when Cameron stepped in between them. "Hold up here. Let's just take a breath and settle this peaceably, alright?"

Daniel laughed, "I'm sorry, but Guinevere is said to be fair of skin and has blond hair. Now, I realize that may not entirely accurate, but there is so much out there to support that theory, that it has to have some basis. Plus, if you think about the time frame, it was highly unlikely that a queen, or nobility of any kind, back in the Dark Ages would have been anything other than someone of Anglo-Celt, or Anglo-Saxon decent."

The former knight of Camelot threw up his hands in surrender. "Believe what you want Dr. Jackson, but that is Queen Guinevere and my king!"

"Your king?" Landry asked suddenly. He'd been watching the exchange with Dr. Lam, trying to let the two men settle it between themselves, and finding it rather entertaining. Gwaine's slip, however, raised his eyebrows.

Cringing, Gwaine turned towards the general. "Sorry, Sir. I spent years at that man's side, through hell, high water, and a few sieges. I fought for him...I bled for him...I served him. I nearly died more than once for him. Old habits really do die hard, I suppose."

"As long as you know where your current loyalties lie, Major. I'll let it slide this once. So...who exactly is he? I only ask, because it appears the two of you are at an impasse." Landry smirked humorlessly.

Gwaine stilled for a moment and his eyes seemed to lose focus.

"You alright there, Dallon?" Cameron asked, watching as his friend seemed to suffer a sudden dizzy spell.

"Yeah...um...just wasn't expecting him to contact me like that."

"Expecting who?...To contact you how?" Landry asked, although he already had an idea.

"The magic man himself." Gwaine smirked with his secret knowledge.

"Who?" Daniel asked with heightened curiosity. The argument about the man in stasis was forgotten for the time being.

Landry laughed, "Oh, some UNIT Colonel who thinks he's the great mystical magician, Merlin himself."

"Actually, General, I prefer the term Warlock." A heavily accented voice said from the corner of the room.

Everyone turned, startled by the man who seemed to materialize in the corner. Cameron's hand went immediately for a non-existent sidearm. Landry's eyes shifted to the emergency alarm system near the door. Dr. Lam just stared with her mouth open. Gwaine chuckled.

"Warlock, meaning 'oath-breaker'?" Daniel asked rhetorically. Years of experience with aliens teleporting in and out around him, had the archeologist barely raising an eyebrow at the sudden appearance.

"Actually, there is also the Scottish etymology which simply means 'male witch'. The individual syllables of 'ward' and 'lock', mean 'to protect'; or my personal favorite, the Norse version 'Varð-lokkur', meaning 'Caller of Spirits'. It wasn't until around the fourteenth century, that its meaning became synonymous with something much more foul." The youthful-looking man with dark-hair and startling blue eyes, walked forward and held his hand out. A sloppy grin was plastered on his face, as he approached Dr. Jackson. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Merlin."

Daniel shook the self-proclaimed warlock's hand. "Dr. Daniel Jackson." He replied casually. "So, you think your Merlin, huh?"

Merlin gave a shrug that reeked of boredom. "It's the name I was born with."

"...And when was that exactly?"

"I was born in the year five-hundred and eleven in a small village called Ealdor, on the border of Camelot and Essetir...which later became the western part of Essex. I was twenty-eight at the Battle of Camlann in five-hundred and thirty-nine, when I stopped aging...other than the occasional aging spell to get me out of trouble, that is." He gave a cheeky smile.

"THAT WAS YOU!" Gwaine hooted at the dawning realization concerning the identity of one of Camelot's most wanted sorcerers, Dragoon the Great.

"Whoa, wait..." Cameron interrupted, "So...what are you then? If you say you were born that long ago, shouldn't you be...I don't know...dead?...Unless you're some type of alien."

"Colonel Mitchell has a point." Daniel said. The young man in front of him seemed rather normal...aside from just appearing in the room with them. "...And if that's really Arthur, then why is he human?"

"What do you mean, 'why is he human?" Merlin's eyebrows nearly disappeared into the hair on his forehead.

"Well, according to all my research..."

"...And let me tell you, he does a lot of it." Cameron interjected into the conversation.

Daniel smirked, "Yeah...anyway, I'd come to the conclusion that Arthur, if he existed, was an Ancient. I mean the books say there is the prophecy of the Once and Future King returning. A human can't really do that, except under special circumstances. So, it would make sense that he would be an Ascended being instead. Especially if he supposedly has the power they claim."

Gwaine and Merlin glanced at each other. The former was snickering; the latter was looking at Daniel, as if the man had just grown a second head.

"Is he for real?" Merlin asked his friend, before turning back to the members of SG-1. "First off, I think I'm human..."

"That's still up for debate." Gwaine commented into his hand.

"Shut up, Gwaine." Merlin responded without missing a beat. "And I'm sure if you think about it, really hard, it will all make sense to you. I mean, why would these supposed Ancients of yours put my 'human' king and his 'human' wife into their stasis pods? UNLESS, they intended them to return at some point. Also, let me tell you, after fourteen centuries of waiting for them, my patience is a bit thin right now. So, actually, if we could get on with this, I would be very grateful."

"Fifteen." Gwaine whispered loudly. "That's okay though, they say the mind is the first thing to go."

"What are you talking about?"

It was Dr. Lam who responded first. "If you were born when you say, then you're over fifteen hundred years old now. Plus, he's got a good point, Dr. Jackson." Lam smiled pleasantly. "I saw first hand the armor and clothing that Major Dallon and his friend were wearing, when they were brought through the gate. It is extremely similar to everything I can see. I think we can trust Major Dallon's identification of that man."

"Good enough for me!" The general said, clapping his hands together. "Now that's all settled. Since you are just a visitor here, Colonel Emrys, I hope you won't mind if I assign you an escort...just to..."

"Keep an eye on me?"

"Something like that. Although what good it will do for a man who can appear out of thin air, I'm not quite sure. If you'll excuse me, I'll leave you with Dr. Lam." Landry exited the room and instructed the guard outside the door to call for an escort for Colonel Emrys. The look on the man's face was priceless, when he realized there was another person inside the room. "Oh, the entertainment value of running this place is amazing." The general chuckled softly to himself, as he walked away.

Merlin turned to Gwaine, who simply nodded his head towards the wall of windows in the observation room. The warlock approached them with trepidation. He closed his eyes for a moment as he reached the glass. Taking a breath, he slowly reopened his eyes and looked down. Lying just as he had when Merlin placed his body in the boat to Avalon, was the king; his red cloak wrapped around his shoulders. The golden dragon crest embroidered with metallic thread, gleamed from over the king's heart.

He felt his knees go weak at the sight below. Gwaine was there to catch him. "It's real...isn't it?" He whispered.

Gwaine simply nodded. No words could truly express the relief, and subsequent anxiety, that flooded both of them.

"I need to get down there!" Merlin demanded with a sudden rush of adrenaline coursing through his body. Over a thousand years' worth of tears threatening to explode from his eyes.

Dr. Lam stepped in front of him. "I'm sorry Colonel, but precautions need to be..."

His voice was suddenly cold when he spoke. "I don't care about your precautions. I will go down there and honestly..." He chuckled sourly. "...there is nothing you or anyone on this Base can do to stop me."

"Merlin." Gwaine's voice caught his friend's attention. "Just take a breath, okay? Hear them out."

He had wanted to go down there himself, once he realized who they were, until Dr. Lam had described to him the condition they were in, and the delicate machinery helping to sustain the integrity of the pods. "Those pods and that equipment are the only things keeping them alive right now. You don't want your years of waiting to be in vain."

Taking a deep breath, Merlin closed his eyes and nodded. He would listen to what they had to say...to a point. He couldn't really explain why his temper had flared like it had. "May I at least be allowed to go down there, while we speak?"

Lam nodded and motioned to the door, before leading them out.

Gwaine spared a glance towards Cameron, as they both noticed the way Dr. Jackson appeared to be trailing the other two. Through his glasses, he was watching Merlin cautiously and curiously, obviously at war with himself to maintain his skepticism or jump the man with questions; like some sort of history-fanboy.

Lam suffered no such dilemma. She was a very observant woman, as many doctors had to be. During her tenure at the SGC as Chief Medical Officer, since Dr. Janet Fraiser was killed in the line of duty, Lam had seen all sorts of things. "When you first came into the Base, Colonel Emrys, I noticed how familiar the two of you seemed to be." She said, referring to Major Dallon. "I thought it was a bit odd, given his file, unless you somehow knew each over the last few years."

Merlin offered her a guilty smile. "Well, he's known me the past few years, but it has been many centuries since I last saw him. Before you ask...No, I don't know what has kept me alive so long, other than perhaps my magic."

"I don't want to seem too forward. However, if we get a chance, I'd like to run some of your bloodwork?"

"My wife, Dr. Jones, has already done that. She hasn't been able to find anything different."

"...but does UNIT have access to the genome database from the computer core of the Ancients' city of Atlantis?"

Merlin pursed his lips, completely unaware that a city, which was already a myth by the time he was born, had been found. Though, it didn't come as a shock that it was actually alien. "No...not that I'm aware of. Hmm. It might be something for us to discuss at a future time. Right now though, my focus is on what can be done to help Arthur, Gwen, and Aurie. Hey, Gwaine, I remembered the boy's name! It's Aurelianus."

"That means 'golden' or 'gilded.'" Daniel Jackson supplied, unable to keep his mouth shut.

Nodding, Merlin turned to look at him. "Yes, I had told Gwen about the prophecy. Arthur's reign was supposed to usher in the 'Golden Age of Albion'. She named her child to honor that."

Gwaine smirked, "I knew you would remember. I think Arthur will be proud of that name."

They came to the door, a level down from the observation room. Dr. Lam nodded to the airman guarding the door. He swiped his keycard through the slit next the keypad, and the door lock clanked open with an accompanying hiss, as the quarantine seal was breached.

"Dr. Jackson, Colonel Mitchell, it might be best if the two of you wait out here so we don't crowd the room." She suggested politely as her way of telling the two members of SG-1 to stay out of her space. Reluctantly, especially for Daniel, they agreed. Once inside, Lam turned to the technicians monitoring the pods, and asked them to leave for a few minutes.

She stood out of the way and let the two men proceed further into the room without her. They moved side by side to the first pod; the one that held the man...King Arthur, if they were telling the truth, and Dr. Lam had no reason to suspect they weren't. Reverently they approached, and Merlin placed his hand on the clear window of the pod.

Inside laid his king. The crimson of the cloak stood out in bold contrast against the pale skin.

"...Bright red, motionless and silent..."

"What?" Merlin asked in a hoarse voice.

"Nothing." Gwaine shook his head. "Just a quote about a place I like to go sometimes with a lot of rocks. He was our rock, wasn't he? The thing that held us all together."

"He was like the stone from which the Round Table was carved." Merlin's tenuous hold on his emotions faltered, as memories of those ten years by Arthur's side flooded his mind. He shoved them away quickly, not yet ready to deal with them. With a shaking breath and trembling hands, he wiped his palm across his face.

The warlock turned to the queen and he placed his hand over her face, wishing he could embrace her. For the first time in centuries, he recalled those last few days of her reign with vivid clarity.

**(*~*~*~*)**

_It was a few days after he had set Arthur in the boat, drifting to Avalon in the magical wind, when Merlin found his way back to Camelot to inform the queen._

_Guinevere had mourned deeply for losing her husband, though in the public eye she remained the pillar of strength. Leaning heavily on Leon's advice when it came to matters concerning the army, she also heeded Merlin's council on the day-to-day running of the castle. When Arthur was king, no one questioned his authority, even with a peasant queen at his side. Without him, however, the dissension among the nobles began. Even the servants, whom Gwen had once served with and called her friends, had opinions._

_Odin broke his truce, as did Mercia, and many other neighboring kingdoms followed suit. At first, with Camelot's army still strong, they maintained their distance, but like wild dogs, they had begun to smell blood and were circling. Thankfully, the Saxons from the east, and the Gauls from the south were keeping many of them busy with fighting to keep the invaders from the shores of the land._

_When Gwen announced her pregnancy, a surge of strength flowed through the kingdom, breathing new life into Camelot. Although still not satisfied with a base-born queen, the thought of Arthur's heir rallied the nobles into action to maintain and protect their lands._

_When Aurelinus was born, a great cheer went up from the city and it felt as if Camelot had been given a rebirth of its own. A year later, and the boy was growing healthy and strong. Merlin and Gwen began discussing the possibility of changing some of the laws in Camelot. No sorcerer or druid had been sentenced to death for many years. The witch hunts surrounding the Purge had become lost to the past. No one had came forward in a quest of vengeance, since before Arthur had perished._

_They brought Leon and Gaius in on their plans. Geoffrey was the next to be let into the secret meetings. Through him, they were able to meet with a few of the Noble Council who also had a softer heart, when it came to affairs of magic._

_Even though he still missed Arthur, Merlin was beginning to feel a sense of hope for the future. Yet again, fate began to intercede and everything changed so suddenly..._

_"Merlin?"_

_"Yes, My Lady?" He bowed to the queen and she in turn scoffed at the gesture. He smiled teasingly._

_"A runner from one of the outlying villages arrived today, begging for assistance. It appears the town has been suffering some sort of ailment and their healer can do nothing for it. I thought about sending Gaius..."_

_"He's getting too old to make such a journey, Gwen." Merlin immediately argued._

_"I know. That is why I believe you should go instead. You have proven yourself many times over. Sir Leon is out with a patrol assessing the current situation along the Mercian borders, so I would like you take a few of the knights you feel most comfortable with on this journey."_

_He didn't really know, or feel comfortable with many of the current knights. They all appeared to be good and honorable men, but he had distanced himself from them for the most part, since losing Arthur. Although they never said, he felt some of them blamed him for not returning to Camelot with the king. Only Gwen and Leon knew the full truth, and the lengths he had gone through, in his attempt to save Arthur._

_"When you return, we shall begin the final preparations for all that we have discussed."_

_A smile filled his face and he bowed once again to her._

**(*~*)**

_They rode hard to the border village only to find the disease had already taken its toll. It was nothing like anything Merlin had ever seen before. Experience with battle wounds and magical maladies, he had in droves. The lumps and discoloration in the victims of this new sickness left him stumped. Although the heaviest death toll appeared to be in some of the filthier areas of town, the entire village appeared to be affected by it._

_In the end, there was nothing he could do. He spent over a week trying to contain the ailing populace. Even his magic didn't appear to have an effect. No sooner would he think that he had healed someone, when the person would fall ill again from it. It appeared the disease was immune to his magic._

_Despite his arguments with the Knight Captain who lead the patrol, the village was declared unclean. The knights sent for more guards to come and quarantine the roads, not allowing any of the villagers to leave. It broke Merlin's heart, almost more so than when he had held a dying Arthur in his arms, to see the children, especially, falling to the illness._

_Merlin had hastily returned to Camelot with two of the guards. He felt if he could at least consult with Gaius, that between the two of them, they could find a way to stave off the threatening Plague long enough to find a cure. Any hope of being able to help the small town fled from his mind when he realized that, in his absence, the Plague had come to Camelot._

_Gaius was doing his best to treat the cases that he came across, but Merlin saw almost instantly upon his arrival, the discoloration that had begun to taint his mentor's skin. The two of them worked diligently...the village all but forgotten...as they strived to save Camelot. Within a few days, the disease took its heaviest toll yet, and Gaius succumbed to the illness._

_Camelot was crumbling. Outside the city walls piles of ash, that were once bodies of healthy and happy citizens, grew. The Lower Town was nothing more than a ghost town within two weeks. Leon and the patrol returned, bearing news of even more towns suffering from the same._

_Then came the night that Merlin would never forget. As he approached the queen's chambers, he could hear her sobbing. Merlin knocked softly before he entered, to find her in nothing but her shift, as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. There, just below the shoulder, near her armpit were the beginnings of the disease._

_"Is there nothing you can do, Merlin?" She asked. Her voice was so soft, he barely heard her. "Aurie..."_

_Merlin quickly went to look at the budding toddler, sleeping restlessly in his mother's bed. His heart stopped. "I'm going to talk to the druids...or maybe go down to the vaults...maybe there is something somewhere there that can help."_

_"Why can't your magic do anything?!" She screamed. "Camelot's people are dying...Arthur's people are dying. How can I care for them all, when I never wanted to be their queen? When all I wanted to be was his wife! I don't know what to do Merlin! TELL ME WHAT TO DO?" She was in hysterics, but he couldn't blame her._

_Tears flowed from his eyes. "I'll find something Gwen. I promise. I'll find something!"_

**(*~*)**

_He raced out into the forest, easily making his way past the guards on the walls. Mentally he called out to the druids, and received no response. When Merlin finally found a druid encampment, he fell to his knees...not a single person remained alive._

_Rushing back towards Camelot, he pulled up his horse near a familiar meadow. Arching his neck, his voice called out in the Dragon tongue. He knew Kilgharrah would not answer. The Great Dragon had succumbed to his age around the same time that Arthur had died._

_A misshapen, white form finally appeared reluctantly in front of the Dragon Lord. "Please, can you help me, Aithusa? Is there any wisdom of your kind that you possess?"_

_Merlin had called for the young dragon on a few previous occasions, since Morgana's demise; attempting to find a way to heal the creature, and gain some sort of rapport._

_Aithusa balked at his attempts. She was more akin to the beastial wyvern, than to the Great Dragon, and Merlin's commands were only vaguely followed._

_Aithusa hissed at the warlock and surprisingly, through a brief spurt of telepathic communication, only gave one message. "The Queen will follow her King to the grave and Beyond."_

_Nothing more was offered, even though Merlin tried to push for an answer. As dawn began to rise, he released his hold over Aithusa, and rode back to Camelot._

_With nothing left to lose, he made his way deep under the castle; into the vaults of magical treasures that Uther had been unable to destroy. He searched through books and scrolls, looking frantically for something...for anything...that could help save Gwen and Aurie. Bumping against a shelf, a familiar artifact caught his eye._

_Nearly the size of his hand, and glowing with an inner fire as it sat on a red pillow, was the Crystal of Neahtid. He knew now the true power of the Crystal hewn from the cave in the Valley of the Fallen Kings. The cave had given him back his powers when Morgana stole them, but it wasn't in time to save Arthur. There was no healing power in the Crystal, but perhaps he could use visions granted by it, to find a way to save his friends._

_Tentatively, he reached for the stone, mentally preparing himself for the onslaught of images._

_They came rushing at his touch: lands and beings he couldn't even begin to dream about, let alone describe; Metal creatures commanded by men to tear down a building, taller than a mountain. Flying beasts in the sky soared around, in a whole rainbow of colors. Deep in a cave, surrounded by unfamiliar things and noises, he saw Gwen standing in front of metallic sarcophagus._

_The vision quickly shifted to a more familiar sight. A lake shore, with a boat fading away into the mist. A dying queen and her child...floating away in hopes of joining her beloved husband._

**(*~*)**

_Tears flowed freely down his face as he recalled Gwen's hand, blackened by disease, in his own as he helped her into the boat. Leon stood a few paces away, holding Aurie close to his chest. His own face was contorted with heartache. The knight's life had been dedicated to the Pendragon family, just as much as Merlin's had been. Leon felt the added heartache, as he watched Gwen board the vessel, of a childhood friend...dying._

_The two men stood side-by-side as the queen drifted away._

_Merlin allowed his mind to wander briefly to Leon. He and the knight had gathered the surviving people, after the disease had run its course, and fled to Nemeth. The blond man fell into a commanding role in the new kingdom easily. When war came, he was always on the front lines of the Nemethian Army, including when he was sent to the continent._

_Merlin occasionally received updates concerning the state of the war. After nearly five years of being absent, a report came in that Sir Leon, the last true Knight of Camelot was gone. It was suspected that he had been taken prisoner and killed. Even a trip to the encampments of the Nemethian forces, had yielded no other information. Try as Merlin might, whether it was through scrying and magic, or a personal foot search, he had found no sign of what truly happened to his friend._

**(*~*~*~*)**

A hand on his shoulder brought him back to the present. Gwen's still form laid in front of him, and his friend stood beside him. Merlin wiped away the tears and attempted to compose himself. He looked up at Dr. Lam. Her eyes were glossy as she tried to hold back her own emotions.

She might not have known the people in the room that well, but the overwhelming sorrow that emanated from them was palpable. Clearing her throat, she moved forward and joined the men standing beside the pods. "Our plan is to extract the mother and child first. We have a clean room set up with IV's of antibiotics ready to combat their symptoms. Unless you tell me otherwise, Colonel Emrys, we are going under the assumption that they are suffering from mid-to-late stages of the Bubonic Plague. We are ready to treat the acral necrosis of the extremities, with a surgical team standing by as a last resort.

"Since we can't determine how far the disease has progressed beyond our visual through the pod's window, we just wanted to make certain all of our bases were covered."

The two men nodded and listened.

"For the child...Aurie?" She asked to confirm the boy's name. Merlin nodded in response and Lam continued, "I have a pediatric specialist I knew from working with the CDC, who has successfully treated children who have come in contact with this disease. He is fully briefed on the situation and ready to go when we are."

"Thank you. I tried to heal them with my magic, but I could only manage to treat the physical symptoms. Something about the heart of the disease never responded to it."

"Well, perhaps before we resort to any sort of amputation, once the antibiotics kick in, you can give it a go with your unique skills." She smiled bashfully. "I'd kind of like to see it in action."

Merlin smiled and sniffled, looking around for a tissue. Gwaine found a box and handed it over to his friend. "What about Arthur?"

Lam walked over to the pod where the king laid. "He's proving a bit more difficult."

At this both men snorted, glancing at each other with a chuckle. "Yeah, that's the princess for ya. Always had to be the difficult one."

"Well," she continued, attempting to stifle a giggle. "We can't penetrate the armor with any of our existing technology...so, we don't know what we would be treating if we extracted him."

"Oy! Good luck separating him from his armor. Did you know, the dollop head even wore it to his wedding?! I was his manservant at the time, and I can tell you: unless he was heading to bed with his wife, the idea of getting him out of that for anything, was absolutely maddening!"

Gwaine guffawed loudly, recalling the wedding. "Oh, she was furious. Gwen kept her composure all through the wedding and the crowning ceremony after it, but I was wandering the halls later...and heard her arguing with him about how she was going to sleep in her own bedchambers if he even thought about wearing it to bed!"

"You were lucky to be just passing by...I was still in the room!" Merlin turned to the doctor. "Do you have any idea how awkward it is to be standing in the bedchambers of a newly married couple arguing on their wedding night? All I wanted was to get him out of that chainmail and leave so I could go polish it, while a rather drunk monarch was talking about polishing other things...if you catch my meaning."

Redness spread across the apples of Lam's cheeks as she tried not to laugh. For all the complaining about the man frozen before them, there was a warmth in their voices that spoke of a deep friendship. "Well, we do have bolt cutters, sawzalls, and lasers ready. So, I think the armor will be the least of our problems." She said, bringing them back to the matter at hand. Taking a few breaths, she composed herself. "Our main concern is actually what we will find underneath."

Merlin nodded in understanding. His voice slipped into a physician's tone as he began to describe his king's injury. "He has a lacerated puncture wound approximately three inches across, just below his rib cage on the left hand side, from a sword that pierced completely through to his back. Unfortunately, a piece of the sword broke off inside of him. I'm unsure how big it is, but the sword was forged in a dragon's breath..."

"Excuse me?" Lam looked up from the chart where she was making notations.

"Yes, dragons did exist. Their breath held magical properties. One of which, was being able to imbue magic into the blade of a sword. It was said to be able to destroy anything living or dead. The shrapnel...for lack of a better term...began to work its way from the initial wound up towards the heart."

"Ooh, kind of like Iron Man," she commented.

The warlock had to snicker at the analogy. "Yes, I suppose it is."

Gwaine snorted, "Except that he's wearing steel, and not a fine 3-D knit alloy with solar-powered micro-circuitry."

Merlin and Lam stared at Gwaine.

The former knight shrugged, "What? I used to love those comic books."

Rubbing at his red-rimmed eyes, the warlock laughed, before continuing his description of Arthur's injuries to Dr. Lam.

* * *

_**AN: Thanks to Nance for proofing, and IcarusLSU for flow-reading.**_

_**So this initially was supposed to be two chapters, but it didn't feel right to split them. (Although, now I'm not as far ahead as I was, since I've been writing some stuff for Beasts)**_

_**Tholey: Happy weekend! I'm glad Laney is growing on you. Also, read the next response:**_

_**TiP: Just wait until Christmas when I give you and Tholey the shower seen I have in mind. MUWHAHAHA (might come out earlier, who knows LOL)**_

_**Flamie:... how can I respond if all you can say is: 'Augh!'?**_

_**Nance: Elvis is dead...*turns and stabs something behind her* Okay, now he's really dead. OMG Gwaine as Arthur's descendant? UH...no LOL just no...**_


	14. Part 2: Chapter 5

It felt like fire and needles, at least the parts she still had sensation in on her hands. Her fingers looked as if she had stuck them into a burning fire, and any pain had long since ceased. Stoically, she sat in the small craft, as the waves gently rocked the dingy back and forth. A gentle breeze toyed with the long curls that lay down her back. A soft whimper escaped the bundle in her arms, and she absently shushed her son.

Her eyes watched vacantly as the shore disappeared. Two loyal friends, all that remained of Arthur's great dream, stood on the small beach to see her off. Her heart, already shredded, felt nothing at the sight of them.

A growing gray mist began to gather around her. The chill of the moist air created an involuntary shiver through her already aching body. Gwen gritted her teeth against the pain that arose.

Soon the fog had completely encompassed the small boat, and she could no longer see the men, or their forlorn faces. She felt a single moment of regret, wondering if her choice to join her husband in death, was simply suicide...but she pushed it away. Merlin had given her a small spark of hope, but she dared not kindle it to anything more than a flicker.

The maid-turned-queen had already accepted the idea that she and her child were going to die, from the sickness that bred inside them. Perhaps, this was the easy way out...but anything else seemed much more painful. Unbeknownst to the warlock, Gwen had taken a bottle of hemlock from Gaius' stores. She didn't know what laid ahead for herself and her son, but if the suffering became too great, she wouldn't hesitate to ease it.

The vessel came to a jarring halt, and Gwen nearly dropped her son; swaddled like an infant, though he was just over a year old. Shaken out of her stupor, she turned around and saw that the craft had landed on an island. A man stood in front of her. His hand was outstretched to assist her out of the boat.

She didn't know him, though she felt strangely comforted by his presence. His manner of dress was completely foreign to her. "Come. I have been waiting for you, Guinevere." He said, using her name as if he was familiar with her.

"What is this place?" She asked in a gravelly voice. So much of the past few days had been spent crying and screaming out her frustrations. It was not queenly, nor was it something she would have done before she was married. With no one to cast the blame upon, her tears were all she had.

The green hill rose before her with a pillar gracing the highest point. It felt serene and she found herself admiring the simple beauty of it all. From Merlin's description, she expected to be met by small, blue, man-like creatures he had called the Sidhe. Gwen was grateful for the normal-appearing man who waited instead.

"Your people call it Avalon, I believe. Come now, we must make haste. Your king awaits you, and if I am found, all the preparations for the future will have been in vain."

The queen didn't know why, but she trusted him as he led her towards the pillar. Standing next to it, he paused for a moment, as if in deep thought, before large rings appeared around them.

A flash of light blinded her temporarily, and as Gwen blinked away the sensation, she realized they were no longer standing on the hill.

"If I had time, I would heal you of the ailment." He told her, as he led her through a tunnel and into a room. On a table, she recognised a workstation similar to the one on which Gaius would craft his potions and tonics. Also on the table, was a sword with a piece missing. Gwen raised an eyebrow at the shoddy, but recognisable, craftsmanship of a Saxon blade; having been a blacksmith's daughter. It was a wonder the invaders from the continent even stood a chance, against the finely honed blades of Camelot.

Other items in the room were not so commonplace, and she couldn't begin to make sense of them...until her eyes lit on a pane of glass, slightly convexed, surrounding the face of a man she now only saw in her dreams.

With a sob, she whispered his name; all the other oddities in the room forgotten.

"Arthur..."

He appeared as if he were only sleeping.

"I have been trying to find a way to remove the piece of sword from his chest, but the methods are beyond what I am able to discover."

"He can be saved then?"

"Yes, he can..." The man was startled by something unseen. "Quickly, you and your son must enter the stasis pod."

Although she didn't understand what it was, Gwen climbed in and laid down. Holding her son tightly, the man smoothed out her hair and offered an encouraging smile.

"When you awaken, the world will have changed drastically. Do not be afraid, for all things will be as they should."

A glass, similar to what covered Arthur, magically slid in place above her. For a few seconds, Gwen felt a hint of claustrophobia before sleep claimed her.

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Gwen...Guinevere?" The warmth of the voice called to her, through her sleepy haze. She felt the soft touch of fingers stroking her cheek.

"Hmm..." She turned her face towards the hand and her eyelashes began to flutter. Slowly she opened her eyes. Merlin's smiling face was close to her own. There was something different about him. His hair...or perhaps his eyes...she couldn't be certain. It was her friend, that was all she knew. Gwen smiled, "Merlin..."

"Shhh. You're safe now, My Lady."

Reality began filtering into her mind. "Aurie?!" She tried to sit up when a spike of anxiety took hold of her.

"He's fine. He's just over there."

Her eyes followed his outstretched hand. Her son was laying in a clear glass-looking bassinet with a man, dressed in an odd manner, standing over him. She bit her lip in worry.

Merlin placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "He's alright. These people here were able to heal him...and you."

Gwen breathed a sigh of relief and sat back against the pillows. She lifted her hand to take Merlin's, noticing first that the discoloration was nearly gone. It was then she saw and felt the odd things attached to her arm. Tiny needles that connected to odd tubing, almost like the thin metal straws Gaius used to use, but what these were made of, she couldn't begin to guess. They led up to a metal pole, hung with clear bags...almost like thin, transparent waterskins, filled with clear liquid.

Another flare of panic flowed through her and she found herself soon caught up in Merlin's arms. He held her and whispered soothing nonsense into her hair, until she finally calmed.

Taking a closer look at Merlin, Gwen noticed it was more than his hair and the age in his eyes. He was dressed in light blue, thin fabric that exposed his arms. She felt her chest tighten at all the strangeness, but then she recalled what the man had said before she fell asleep. She was frightened, but her dearest friend's presence amongst the emotions gave her hope.

Glancing around again, she hoped to see Arthur and her heart sank when he was nowhere in sight. "The man..." she croaked, her voice hoarse from not being used in so long. "He said he was trying to heal Arthur..."

The warlock's brow furrowed, "What man?"

A woman came up next to Merlin and smiled at the queen; unintentionally interrupting the conversation.

"Gwen, this is Dr. Lam. She's a physician, and she's the one who healed you."

"I just knew the right antibiotics to get rid of the disease. He's the one who managed to save all of your extremities from the gangrene." The doctor said, humbly.

Gwen smiled at the woman politely. Some of the words were foreign to her, but the overall meaning was conveyed. Her eyes turned back to Merlin, silently demanding an answer to her question.

Merlin's smile faltered slightly. "Arthur is nearby, but..."

"Is he still in that...thing?"

"Um...yeah. How did you know?" His face betrayed his confusion.

Dark brown eyes filled with tears, as Gwen's attention shifted back to the woman. "Can you heal my husband?"

Dr. Lam glanced at Merlin momentarily. He nodded and she began to explain, "We're doing all we can to accomplish that. His condition is critical, so it's an uphill battle. We are hopeful that we can remove the sword piece from his body, using some borrowed technology. However, we don't yet know the amount of damage it has done to his internal organs, or the nature of the...'magic'...that imbued the metal it was made from."

Taking another deep breath, Gwen nodded. She began to notice the overwhelming sounds...a soft beeping, a constant humming, and the sound of wind; even though she couldn't feel a breeze in the cave-like room. Light, as bright as the sun, but the color of the moon shone from overhead.

"Could I see my son?" She whispered, while still clinging tightly to Merlin.

The doctor smiled and motioned to the man near the basinette. He set aside the board he held, and rolled the small bed closer. Careful of the IV lines that supplied hydration and the life-saving antibiotics, Aurie was placed in his mother's arms. Gwen sobbed with relief when she saw no sign of the disease.

"Hey!"

Gwen looked up to see a strange man near the door. He was dressed in dark green, mottled pattern clothing, had short hair, and a flirtatious smile...which he offered unabashedly as he walked in. His voice seemed familiar to the queen.

The man ran a hand through his short hair and chuckled, realizing how different he must appear to her. "Don't recognize me?" She shook her head slowly. The man chuckled, "Well, you still look like a princess to me."

"Sir Gwaine?!" She gasped. Her eyes were wide and she looked to Merlin for confirmation.

Nodding, Merlin smiled, "I finally found him."

**(*~*~*~*)**

They spent a little while speaking, but Merlin soon noticed how tired his queen, and friend, appeared. "You should try and rest. The people here may seem a bit strange, but they will take good care of you and Aurie. In a little while, we'll take you to see Arthur, alright?"

Gwen smiled and bit back her tears. "Merlin...how long...?"

The warlock glanced over at Gwaine, uncertain how he should answer. Gwaine was already from this modern place, and was easily able to grasp the concepts of time travel and technology. Percival was given a crash course, but the large man hadn't suffered as much as Gwen before he was brought into this world, fully conscious.

It was Gwaine who finally answered, "A long time. It would be best discussed when you're feeling a bit stronger. There's going to be a lot to take in."

She nodded. Her mind wanted answers, but her friend was correct in assuming that she didn't have the strength to deal with it all at the moment.

One of the technicians came up and gently took Aurie from his mother, placing him in the bassinette. "Dr. Lam wanted me to give you something to help you sleep, when you are ready." The young woman, wearing a thin v-neck shirt and matching pants, similar to what Merlin had on, said, "My name is Cassie. I just came on shift, so I will be monitoring your vitals, and those of your son, while you sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up."

"Thank you...Cassie."

Merlin leaned in and hugged Gwen tightly to him. "It's all going to be fine. Soon you'll be hugging Arthur, and you'll get to introduce him to this little angel of yours."

He moved back so Gwaine could say his goodbyes as well, before the two men left the room.

They stepped out into the hallway. Gwaine put his back against the wall across from the door and mashed his eyes shut. Merlin's face was expressionless as he took up a similar pose, opposite Gwaine, near the door. Merlin's 'guard' briefly glanced at the two men.

"That was harder than I ever imagined it to be." Merlin said softly.

"I never imagined myself being in this type of situation," Gwaine admitted. "I think she took it all rather well. The stuff about Arthur and everything else. She'll be fine when we explain the rest to her, I'm sure."

"Dallon!" A voice called from the end of the hallway.

Gwaine stood up straight seeing Cameron and Teal'c coming towards him. "Colonel Mitchell?"

"I know it's your first full day back and all, but we've got a situation brewing that requires all hands on deck. Suit up and report to Colonel Dixon of SG-13 in the briefing room. You're heading to Seattle to help with some evacuations." Cameron didn't slow as he spoke to Gwaine, and kept on walking right past him, through the hall. The large Jaffa following Cameron, didn't even raise an eyebrow.

"Yes Sir!" Gwaine acknowledged, as the two men turned a corner that would take them to the Gate Room. He looked at Merlin and sighed, "Duty calls."

Merlin nodded. It was interesting for him to see how well his friend fit into this military lifestyle. "You never took orders from Arthur that easy."

"I did..." he argued, "...eventually."

Shaking his head with a chuckle, Merlin wasn't sure which of them was having the most difficulty in accepting the other's presence, in this new time. He figured it was himself, more than Gwaine. From Gwaine's perspective, they had been only separated by a few days, following Camlann. "I'll contact Percival and let him know what's going on here. You go deal with whatever you need to."

Gwaine fished in his pocket for his keys. He tossed them to Merlin. "Take the Beast if you need to go anywhere...just promise not to wreck it. Pops would kill me, if something happened to his baby." With a deep breath, Gwaine felt his energy returning and he jogged down the hallway, leaving Merlin.

Merlin glanced at his guard and smirked. He pulled out his cell phone. "Don't suppose you know of an area that actually gets reception around here?"

**(*~*~*~*)**

"They are really there?"

"Yes, they are." Merlin was standing outside the Base on a hilltop. The bright sun was high in the azure sky and was just beginning its descent. The day had been filled with so much already, that Merlin was certain it would have been dark when he was escorted outside, to make the phone call. Back in the UK, it was well past sundown. He'd worried about waking his friend at first, but pushed it aside. Percival needed to know what was happening.

Merlin gave the larger man a brief rundown of the situation.

"I want to join you." Percival said, hardly able to speak past the lump in his throat.

"You realize that would mean getting on an airplane?"

"Can't you just teleport me?...Like you did before?"

Merlin sighed and rubbed his neck. "I could, but it left me feeling magically exhausted for a few days. I would rather conserve my energy, in case my magic is needed to save Arthur. Listen, I'll call Martha. I want her to come as well. She can meet you at Heathrow, and fly with you here."

He could hear Percival's heavy breathing on the other end. From all accounts, the knight had been adjusting really well to the situation. However, the thought of flying was, thus far, the one thing he couldn't seem to get past. A few minutes of silence passed, "I would probably just be in your way there."

Merlin could sense the guilt over his friend's decision through the phone. It wasn't easy for Percival to admit any sort of weakness. Sidestepping the issue like he did, was the closest he would come. The warlock bit the inside of his cheek and sighed, "Alright. Well, I need you and Mickey to do me a favor then."

"What is that?"

* * *

_**AN: Sorta-kinda coincides with 9x7 "Ex Deus Machina" of Stargate SG-1. The episode where Ba'al laced the entire building with Naquadah and had a few clones living on Earth.**_

_**Proofed by Nance, Beta'ed for flow by IcarusLSU, Graphics on theheartofcamelot dot com posting made by Aerist.**_

IcarusLSU: MUWHAHAHA (about the idea I had earlier and bounced off you)

Tholey: I was definitely trying to capture the later, more cynical Daniel, instead of the earlier fascinated by everything version. As for Leon...see the comment I made to IcarusLSU ;D

Flamie: LOL well...here's some more suspense for you, my friend!

Nance: Thank you as always! I'm glad it flowed well for you. Everything about the Black Death was just nasty. Leon's fate...hmmm once again: see the comment to IcarusLSU *cackles insanely*

TiP: LOL yes I'm draaaaaawing it out. hehehe but I'm glad I've got you hooked ;D

Aerist and Mathew72 from HoC: I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this as well.

Thank you for reading! Thanks for the reviews! Please keep 'em coming!


	15. Part 2: Chapter 6

Gwen sat in a chair next to the unopened pod. Her son played quietly in her lap. "Oh, Arthur...I can't wait for you to meet your son." Tears fell from her eyes. She was mildly amazed that she had anything left to cry after the last month of her life.

A very nice lady had explained to the former queen about the time difference, and how Gwen was now centuries into the future. Merlin was by her side much of the time. Only leaving to 'make a call'. She wondered, at first, if that was how people in this century referred to certain bodily functions. It took the young physician's assistant, Cassie, to explain about the so-called telephones, which were similar to scrying bowls used by practitioners of the Old Religion to communicate over distances instantly.

Cassandra Fraiser was such a sweet girl, and it didn't take long for the queen to warm up to her. She was twenty-one years old, and spoke to Gwen about much of her life. They shared in the grief of having both lost their parents, although Cassie had lost three. Her adopted mother, Dr. Lam's predecessor, was killed on a far away battlefield. The girl had graduated something called High School early, and had attended nursing school...which to Gwen seemed like a type of apprenticeship before becoming a physician. She then took a job at the same place where her mother had worked. Although Cassie tried to make it clear, that she was a civilian, not part of the military.

Aurie had taken to her right away, which helped ease Gwen's anxiety; giving her time to herself, or to sit by her husband's side alone.

Gwaine would come to sit with her at times, but his life seemed very busy, always rushing off to something. She had laughed and joked that he was probably just hiding out in a tavern somewhere.

He had changed, almost more than Merlin in some ways. Though from the way they explained it, his time in this world was considerably less than Merlin's. Gwaine was still the same carefree roguish man, however he looked almost nothing like he used to, with the short hair and clean shaven face. The knight told her about his own journey, and Gwen couldn't say she was shocked to find out this is the place he was originally from.

His accent was slightly different, closer to the speech patterns of many others in this unnatural cave-like fortress; where the only sun she saw was through windows, not set in the walls...and the scenes would change continuously. One moment they showed day; the next, it was already night.

Cassie explained to her that what Gwen saw was akin to an artist's representation of the world outside. However, instead of just one painting, they were able to capture the world through something called a camera.

The young woman illustrated this by bringing in a small rectangular item one day, with one of the miniature windows on the back. She had Gwen hold Aurie and told her to say, "Cheese!" Though, the queen couldn't fathom why. A bright flash of lightning appeared suddenly and was gone. Cassie came back over and showed Gwen the screen.

Inside the small frame was a portrait of her holding her son. She giggled and clapped a hand over her mouth in amazement. A few days later Cassie brought in a larger version of the picture, in a simple black frame for Gwen to keep with her. The queen sat it on a table, next to the pod where her husband laid.

He appeared to be sleeping, except for the unnatural stillness. She wondered what he was going to think of this new world when he woke up. Arthur was never very good at accepting change. Merlin had relived those last few days of Arthur's life, describing to her the king's mindset. During the last few years of his reign, the king had been more open, but his father's legacy still kept him from truly making the kingdom his own.

She wiped away the tears. Aurie reached out and slapped his little hands against the glass over his father's face. "Dadada," he said. The queen had laughed when Gwaine, on one of his visits, held the boy over the pod and began to encourage him to say the syllables. He explained that was just one of the ways toddlers referred to their fathers in this time. Gwen rolled her eyes at first, then gasped in amazement when Aurie seemed to catch on. Now, it had become almost commonplace.

"What would your father think of you calling him that, my sweeting?" She drew a breath when the door opened. A woman named Martha came in, dressed as one of the physicians. Her accent was more familiar to Gwen than anyone else's in this place, save for Merlin's.

The warlock had introduced them the day before. Gwen could see the way his eyes softened when he looked at Martha. Even though he had not said out loud that anything was between them, it was obvious. The queen was thankful that her friend had found someone. She had always worried about him back in Camelot.

"We're just about ready." Martha informed the queen. She bent over and tickled Aurie. The boy giggled and stretched his arms towards her. Clicking her tongue, she frowned, "I'm sorry, little Prince. I can't hold you, just now. I have to keep my clothes clean so I can help your daddy, yeah?"

"Is this going to work?" Gwen couldn't keep the tremor from her voice.

Martha smiled encouragingly. The smile faltered when an alarm began to sound loudly through the Base. Red rotating lights along the walls flared to life, and Walter's voice came through the speakers.

"Unscheduled offworld activation." A few moments later, another message came, "Emergency medical personnel: report to the Gate Room. All available Offworld teams: please report to the Briefing room for a potential search and rescue operation."

Gwen hugged Aurie tightly, "What's happening?"

"I don't know. I'll go find out." She squeezed Gwen's shoulder, before darting out into the hallway.

A few heartwrenching minutes later, Martha returned with Merlin following her. The warlock appeared mad, and the woman was trying to calm him down.

"What is it?" Gwen demanded.

Merlin opened his mouth, but Martha shot down whatever he was going to say, with one look. He threw up his hands in defeat.

"There was a skirmish of some sort. Dr. Lam is moving a critical patient into the Operating Room. I'm so sorry, Arthur's surgery has been put on hold for the time being." Martha explained, "It wasn't anything that could be avoided." She wrapped her arms around the queen.

Gwaine rushed in, out of breath. "My Lady...I..."

"Martha explained. I understand." She chuckled sourly. "I assisted Gaius on many occasions. Those wounded in battle take precedence."

He turned to Merlin. "Colonel Mitchell is the one who's missing, so it's going to be hell around here until he's found. Listen, the boys are with their dad this weekend, and Pops has a lady friend he's visiting back in Wyoming. I already cleared it with General Landry for you guys to go out to my place for a day or two."

Merlin nodded. He was upset about the delay, but he couldn't argue with Gwen's logic. "...And your sister?"

Gwaine waved him off. "She'll be fine with it...I think." Someone out in the hallway called to the Major. He looked out and gave a thumbs up. "I gotta go...sorry."

Sighing, Merlin slumped down in a chair next to Gwen. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Gwen...I..." his voice was choked.

"It's fine. I think I could use a break from this place before it happens anyway. I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic in here."

"Then I say we go gather a few things, blow this joint, and give Laney a call when we're on our way." Martha smiled brightly and reached for Aurie, who was beginning to squirm in his mother's lap, upset by all the sounds and tension.

Gwen simply nodded. Her heart was pounding too hard, with each wail of the klaxons to question the modern vernacular of Martha's statement.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Little did Merlin realize, the most difficult part of getting Gwen and her son out of the Base, would be finding a car seat for the baby. He grumbled and cursed. Gwen couldn't help herself. She began to giggle. She didn't understand what he was ranting about, but his harried state reminded her so much of when he was younger, and trying desperately to placate Arthur's whims. Martha had a much cooler head on her shoulders, and wandered off to find the item.

When Martha returned, she and Merlin began bickering about how to attach it to the backseat of the large orange metal carriage. Gwen had spoken to Percival a few times over the phone in the past two weeks, and he had explained to her about the modern transportation. She was apprehensive about it initially, but her fears eased watching Merlin and Martha. "You two sound like an old married couple."

Martha rolled her eyes. "Well, we are married, and this one is old enough for the both of us..."

"HEY!" Merlin protested.

"Really, Merlin?" Gwen scowled at the warlock. "You neglected to tell me that."

His blue eyes widened. He opened and closed his mouth, attempting to say something, but no words came to him...until Martha smacked him in the shoulder. "OW!"

"Just slipped your mind, did it?"

"In my defense, I was focused on other things. Thank you very much."

"You are so lucky that you are cute, or I might have found myself a younger man by now...instead of an old forgetful one."

"Martha..." He whined.

Gwen laughed until her eyes filled with tears. Although they had yet to leave the parking lot of the SGC, it felt good to be out of the mountain and feeling the sunshine on her skin. The queen might not have her king at her side yet, but the prospect of being somewhere less depressing and stifling was literally a breath of fresh air.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Aurie adapted to the ride in the car much better than his mother did. Within a few minutes of being on the road, he was sound asleep in the special seat that had caused so much turmoil for Merlin. Gwen felt her stomach twist with the turns in the road. For most of the drive she kept her eyes closed, and allowed the motion to soothe her. If she opened them, the world she saw overwhelmed her, but the sounds alone, while loud, acted like an odd sort of lullaby.

She forced her eyes open when the smooth ground gave way. Merlin had turned on a dirt road that seemed much more natural than the black surfaced version, with the odd yellow and white stripes. Up ahead was a manor house, sitting near a barn larger than she had ever seen. The style was foreign, but something about the estate felt welcoming and comfortable.

A woman stood on the steps outside the front door, smiling as Merlin pulled up. Gwen could instantly see the resemblance to Gwaine, and assumed this was his sister. Martha climbed out and the two women embraced warmly.

"Alright, let's get a look at this little squirt my brother's been raving about." She smiled and climbed into the Scout. "Hi, I'm Laney. Welcome to my home, Majesty...Ma'am...My Lady..." Elaine said, unsure of what greeting to use.

The queen smiled, "Gwen, is fine."

"Good. I'm not a fan of proper protocols and all that nonsense. My mother was...but that's a different story." Laney skillfully unbuckled the sleeping child from the seat, and with practiced ease, lifted him out. Aurie barely stirred as she climbed out.

Once Gwen was on the ground, she took her son back. "Thank you."

"Come on, I've got a warm home-cooked meal waiting."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Gwen woke up and stretched. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt such a comfortable bed underneath her. Certainly her bed in Camelot was nice, but there was nothing to compare to the pillowtop mattress in Gwaine's room, that she woke up on. Aurie was still sound asleep next to her.

Elaine, at first, started to panic about not having a crib or any guardrails for the bed, but Merlin had put all three women at ease, by casting a spell to make certain the little guy didn't fall off during the night. Elaine eyed Merlin warily, until Aurie attempted to crawl off the bed. Initially she gasped in fright. It soon turned to laughter, however, when it was obvious the boy wasn't going anywhere.

She felt like an intruder, as she looked around the room, but her curiosity about who the knight truly was, got the better of her. There were only a few personal items scattered around the space: a few miniatures of vehicles, like the orange one Merlin had driven the day before; one of the picture window boxes, although it currently was blank; and a few pictures were scattered on a shelf.

Gwen looked over each one. The first was of a young boy of perhaps four, a girl who was a few years older, and two adults...the man wore clothing similar to what she had seen Gwaine wear. She guessed it must have been a picture of the knight, Elaine, and their parents. A blue cloth with embroidered white stars sat in a triangular case next to the picture. Gwen wondered about the significance, as she could see a flag in the background of the picture, unfurled on a pole and bearing the same pattern in the top corner...as well as having seen a similar pattern around the Base.

There were a few more of Gwaine, his sister, and the woman who seemed to be their mother...at least until Gwaine was around ten. After that, most of the pictures consisted of a teenage boy and his friends. She saw one, who she guessed was Gwaine, not long before the time when he must have arrived in the lands around Camelot. He was standing with a few other young men, including the one he called Mitchell, from the Base.

In the background was the orange vehicle, coated completely in mud, and the men standing around or leaning against it, were just as filthy. Nearly every one of them showed off a bare torso, and were in some odd pose that was meant to highlight their tight muscular bodies, covered in sweat and grime.

She felt a flutter in her stomach and turned away, blushing at their indecently exposed bodies. It wasn't that she felt anything for any of the men in the picture, but she could almost imagine Arthur, especially in his younger days, joining them. The thought of her husband topless among the other handsome men, or even the memory of him alone in the privacy of their rooms, made her chest tighten.

Soon...she promised herself. Soon, he would be back in her arms.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him towards her. He, in turn, embraced her around her back, gently pushing her against the counter. Their lips pressed together and the rest of the world, faded away around them.

A polite, but still somewhat reprimanding, sound finally made them part. "Ahem."

Merlin broke the kiss with his wife and turned, smiling at the queen who stood in the doorway. "Morning, Gwen!" He said in a chipper tone, showing no signs of embarrassment from being caught.

"Good morning, Merlin. Martha." She addressed them with a mild smirk.

"Care for a cuppa?" Martha asked, wiggling out of the embrace. She chuckled when she was met with a confused stare from the former queen. "Something to drink, this morning?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you." She smiled and came fully into the kitchen. She managed to still look elegant as she sat at the table, in her borrowed sweat pants and shirt.

"Did you sleep well?" Merlin asked.

"Better than I have in a very long time. I just wish..." she started wistfully, and sighed, "...I just wish Arthur was with us. I think Sir Gwaine may just have to use the floor when he returns. When Arthur is saved and tries it for himself, you will likely have to drag him out of it, kicking and screaming."

"I'll get him an alarm clock. I haven't spent the last fifteen hundred years waiting, just to be his whipping boy again."

"Oh, sure you have...Grandpa Merlin." Elaine's voice cackled from the exterior door. Gwaine's sister entered carrying a basket of eggs.

"Hey, I'm your ancestor, you better be nice to me." Merlin scowled playfully, at his many times over great-granddaughter.

"Ancestor? Is that another thing you forgot to mention?" Martha questioned.

Merlin rubbed at his neck and refused to make eye contact. "Um...yes?"

"Is that a question or a statement, Merlin?" Gwen asked in a regal voice, as if she were questioning a courtier.

"Both?" He turned to fill his coffee cup, feeling the weight of three sets of eyes on him, as they waited for him to continue. "So...Gwaine and I discovered, that he and Laney are descendants of myself and my first wife...Mithian."

Gwen let out a very unladylike sound of surprise. "Truly? Princess Mithian of Nemeth?" At Merlin's nod, she pressed on, "I always wondered if she fancied you. I think I even mentioned it to Arthur, and do you know what his response was?"

Merlin shook his head.

"Why would anyone fancy Merlin?" She mimicked, even contorting her mouth in an attempt to recreate Arthur's sneer.

The warlock rolled his eyes, trying to hide any embarrassment.

"Of course, then I had to inform my husband of all the young women in the castle who, at some point, fancied you."

"That was probably a very short list." He grumbled while sipping his coffee.

"You really were that blind?" Gwen asked. She shook her head in amazement. "Of course, I shouldn't be too surprised. You didn't even know I was besotted by you...even after I kissed you."

His eyes widened, "When did you kiss me?"

A morning of storytelling began. Merlin happily excused himself to get Aurie, when they heard him begin to fuss. He arrived back in the kitchen to see the women cleaning up, and looking as if they were getting ready to leave. "What's all this?"

"Well," Martha began, giving her husband a kiss and tickling the little boy in his arms. "We decided to leave the two of you here for the day and take Gwen shopping!"

"You're what?" He glanced at Aurie and then back at the three women.

"You'll be fine! Gwen needs some girl time, after all she's been through." Martha told him. She put a little bit of a pout into her bottom lip and gave him a forlorn look...she knew her husband would be unable to resist.

**(*~*)**

He watched the three women drive away in Elaine's car. They had promised to be home by dinner. He felt a heavy amount of trepidation at the thought of the three of them, telling stories of his past. Sighing, he turned to the little boy. "Guess it's just us today. I hope you don't start acting like your father, otherwise it's going to be a very long one."

Aurie's face took on a worried look, just before the little boy began to wail.

* * *

_**AN: Note from my proofreader: "You're going to give your readers anxiety attacks waiting for Arthur to wake. "**_

_**That is not my intention, so next chapter should be the one many are waiting for...maybe...unless my muse gets sidetracked...more reviews=less deviation...(maybe LOL)**_

_**ANYHOO! Proofread for grammar and spelling by Nance, reviewed for flow by IcarusLSU, Graphics by Aerist.**_

_**TiP: Aren't most authors? hehe Gwaine is still Gwaine, no matter what century. Hope you liked the shirtless tease hehe.**_

_**Nance: Aw you're always so kind in your reviews! And of course your editing notes are priceless.**_

_**Aerist: hmmmm Might not find out about that strange man for a while yet hehe **_

_**Flamie: SOON! Oh and thank you so much for the idea you spurred last night!**_

_**Tholey: even a boat would take too long. He's busy doing some things for Merlin. Yes it's THE Cassie...I had to put her in, at least a little bit, because like you implied, I have to pay homage to Janet. I'm still trying to figure out how exactly I want Arthur to react.**_

_**Matthew on HoC: Actually more than one still to go...but that will be a few more chapters yet and a bit of a plot twist hehe.**_

**_Thanks again for reading! See you all next chapter!_**


	16. Part 2: Chapter 7

_**AN for everyone in Colorado along the Front Range: Try to keep your heads above water...literally. Sending energy for you guys.**_

* * *

The weekend had been filled with so many new experiences. Laney had taken the wheel of her car, much smaller and smoother than Gwaine's vehicle, however, somehow the large and loud thing seemed to suit the knight. She drove the three of them to a place called Castle Rock. A large flat-topped mountain rose on the horizon, and from a distance it almost did resemble a castle. A very intriguing market called an outlet mall, had shops set up like an outdoor market place.

The two women took her from shop to shop, trying on clothing that fit without being tailored. They drank and ate things she never imagined...such as chocolate ice cream. Gwen couldn't wait to let her son try it...She felt a bit melancholy that Arthur wasn't able to experience these things with her. Gwen questioned the rectangular cards that Martha pulled out of her small bag, to exchange for the items. Martha did her best to try and explain the credit cards, but Gwen appeared even more lost about it.

"Hell, I grew up with them...and now I don't even know what the frack they are...after that explanation!" Laney said, with a laugh.

They found baby clothing in another store, along with items that made Gwen squeal in delight, when she found out what they were. A stroller was among the things that made her giddy. The comfortable seat and the wheels...which meant she wouldn't have to carry her son everywhere...it was one of the most miraculous things she could have dreamt of.

Everything was so new and different, but in the company of her new friends, who didn't seem to care that she was once a servant or a queen, it was a wonderful experience. Another store had Gwen blushing like she never had before in her life...undergarments that consisted of nothing but strings and lace were blatantly put on display in a large window.

The best part, Gwen decided, was the pampering. She couldn't stop looking at her feet, softer than they had ever been, with bright pink painted on the toes. Her hands felt amazing and sported a matching color on the nails. Most of all, she was enjoying her hair. Reluctant at first, because she was unsure of what Arthur would say, when he sees her looking so different. Gwen finally agreed to have it cut to a length just below her shoulders. As she ran her decorated fingertips through it, she marvelled at the way it bounced and moved; almost like a very expensive silk from exotic lands. It still curled naturally around her face, and she loved it.

Merlin, it seemed, was perfectly fine with Aurie, while they were away. The girls returned back late in the evening, to find the toddler crawling around the floor and chasing small bubbles of rainbow-colored lights; giggling profusely, when he would catch one and pop it. The warlock came out of the kitchen...and stopped short at the sight of Gwen. She wore a peasant style blouse and faded, form-fitting jeans that showed off shapely legs and ended at sparkling, silver, strappy sandals.

"Arthur's going to think he really had died and gone to Avalon, when he gets a look at you."

The following day was spent relaxing. Merlin and Gwen took advantage of the couple of horses owned by the family, and enjoyed a quiet ride around the forty acre ranch.

Gwen fidgeted in her saddle and picked absentmindedly at the horse's mane. "I don't know what I'm going to say to him." She confided to Merlin.

"He probably won't be able to really comprehend what's happened, according to Martha; at least for a couple of days, while he's being given painkillers and sedatives."

"Laney told me, she was going to take some time off work to watch Aurie for me...so I don't have to worry about him while Arthur is in surgery."

Merlin smiled, "I think that's probably a good idea. Remember, Arthur doesn't even know about him yet. He doesn't know about any of this." He waved his hands, indicating the larger picture. "His last moments...he watched me kill his sister, and then..."

They rode on in silence, breathing in the warm dry air.

"I have to say," Merlin said, "you are handling the change much better than Percival. Certainly better than I feared."

"What choice do I have, Merlin? I can wallow in self-pity, or allow myself to be overwhelmed, but it won't change a thing. If this is the world my son will grow up in, I have to adjust." She sighed, "I know I shouldn't think this way, or say such things...I don't want to appear apathetic about what befell Camelot, but I rather like not being responsible for a kingdom. Is that callous of me? I mean, what would Arthur say?"

The countryside was beautiful. Rolling hills of dry grassland laid spread out before them. To the west, they could see the blue and white mountains in the distance, like a picture painted against the sky. They stood majestically...a bit surreal.

"I don't know what he's going to say...about anything. It has me a bit worried. Honestly, you would be a better judge of his mindset than I would, with the time weirdness and such. Is he going to yell and throw a tantrum; accusing me of letting Camelot fall and not saving him? Is he even going to remember I have magic? Will he accept it all and be happy, just to be alive?"

Gwen patted the neck of the dappled roan mare beneath her, and allowed Merlin to vent his worries.

"I don't know, Gwen. I really don't know how to proceed right now. There were no signs that we would all be gathered here...that Lancelot had become an Ascended being, watching over us. I was told Arthur would return someday, and for a long while, I kept preparing for it. I kept looking for signs, but after a time...I couldn't anymore."

He inhaled deeply, and let the soft smell of sage, from the blooming rabbitbrush, calm him. "Mithian used to get so mad at me. At first, she helped with researching the books and ancient scrolls; searching for even the tiniest of clues. Then, when she gave birth to our first child...a daughter...it finally got through to me, that I couldn't live my life lamenting about what might, or might not come.

"The hardest day, I think, was when our youngest, a son we named Gawain...don't tell Gwaine I named a child after him, I'd never hear the end of it. He is already enjoying being his own namesake far too much, as it is." He said, as a side note. "...but Gawain was just named as a squire to Mithian's brother, when someone made a comment about how I hadn't changed...not even a gray hair on my head."

Gwen chewed her bottom lip in worry. "That's when you realized...?"

Merlin nodded, "I don't think it really set in until later. I came up behind Mithian, as she was looking into a mirror. We both knew, in that moment, that Arthur's prophesied return would not be in the course of a normal lifetime.I feared what it meant to be alone; just myself with no one else who knew him. Not a soul alive, but me, who would understand how great of a king he was, or could have been."

"...But now it has come, and you are not alone. You said Lancelot is watching over us?" She waited for him to nod, "and by an amazing twist of destiny, Gwaine and Percival are here...as am I. We were the closest to him. We know, like you, the type of man he was...and will be again."

"Yeah," he reluctantly agreed. He snorted, "Just wait until you meet Mickey Smith. Gwaine and Percival are both convinced he's your brother, reborn."

Gwen's eyes widened, a giggle bubbled up from inside her. "Does he have memories or anything then?"

"No, he doesn't even really look like him...I don't think...except for the darker skin, like you. It's more just some of the mannerisms and being gullible enough to fall for Gwaine's pranks, when he came over there for my and Martha's wedding."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Gwen hardly moved. Her eyes were glued to the scene below her. Many had attempted to persuade her out of being in the observation room, above the operating theater during the surgery, but she refused to budge. She was from a place and age that was much harsher than this. Martha tried to express that it was different when the patient was a loved one, but Gwen wouldn't hear of it.

Merlin stood just as still, leaning against a wall near the same windows. He was preparing for anything, and it had already been a long morning. Aurie was out at Gwaine's place with his sister, even though the former knight was still on an alien planet, searching for his friend. There was no word when he would return.

_Merlin and Gwen had been in the room when the pod was opened; clinging tightly to one another in the background, while Martha worked with Dr. Lam and the others to release the king._

_Lam counted down as a group gathered around the edges, ready to lift the lid. The hissing sound of the seal cracking was quickly followed by a flurry of action._

_The lid was moved off to the side. Others stepped in and lifted the king out, placing him on a strategically placed gurney. Someone rushed forward, attaching monitors to the king's head. Another held bolt cutters at the ready._

_Merlin sucked in a breath and released Gwen. He hastily made his way to the king. His magic might not work on the wound, but he could certainly do something about the restrictive chainmail, now that Arthur was out of the pod. Martha stepped back, giving him room, while the others looked confused._

_A few soft words, with his hand on the king's chest, and his eyes glowed softly from under his lids. The armor disappeared off the body and reappeared on a table nearby. He shrugged off Dr. Lam's shocked look. "He'd kill me if anything happened to his armor."_

_"Works for me!" She replied, happily moving forward to cut off the rest of the clothing, as the operating team worked to stabilise Arthur's nearly non-existent vital signs. The heart monitor beeped out an extremely slow rhythm, but it was still there. Lam and the others took a moment to breathe._

_The first part was over._

_Gwen timidly moved to her husband's side, attempting to stay out of the way of all the people, as they recorded information and checked placements of their equipment. "May I have a moment with him, before you take him?" She asked, with a sudden surge of bravery, that her husband would have been proud of. Her head was held high, and all in the room could see the change from a young woman, outside of her own place and time, to the queen who dwelt inside._

_Carolynne Lam looked over the readouts from the monitors. She seemed hesitant._

_Martha spoke up. "I'll stay in here, and keep an eye on his vitals."_

_Nodding, Lam motioned the others out of the room. "Two minutes, no more."_

_Merlin and Gwen were left in peace next to the body of their king. Martha quietly wandered around, checking over the data given off by the machines._

_Delicate fingers smoothed over the king's blond hair. Gwen was trembling, unable to will her body to be as strong as she wished. For the first time since the eve of the Battle of Camlann, she was touching her husband. Her emotions tumbled over the edge. She pressed her brow to his, cupping his face in her hands. Tears flowed freely._

_The strain in Merlin's eyes was apparent, but he held himself back. His mind was reliving the last moments of his king's life._

_Gwen kissed the cool lips of her beloved; stroking his cheek in a tender caress._

_Eyelashes fluttered._

_"Arthur...Oh my god...Arthur?" Gwen's voice was frantic, as she realized her husband was trying to wake up._

_Cloudy blue eyes opened briefly against heavy lids. A hint of a smile...and then all hell broke loose._

_His eyes rolled back in his head. The monitors began beeping loudly, alarms sounding from each and every one of them._

_Martha sprung into action, pressing an emergency button on the wall and running to the ancient king. "He's crashing!" She yelled, as Lam and the others hurried back into the room._

_"Let's get him intubated!" Lam called out._

_Merlin startled, awakening from the memories that played through his mind. He grabbed Gwen's shoulders and pulled her out of the way. He held her upright, when her knees buckled, although he was having a difficult time keeping himself standing._

Three long hours later and they hadn't spoken a word. Neither knew what to say, as they watched the team of doctors and nurses work diligently to save Arthur.

Martha utilised a laser saw, a piece of technology she had borrowed from Torchwood, to create an incision in the king's chest; but it was only good for the soft tissue to keep bleeding at bay. Lam's team opened up the rib cage, and followed the lines of the internal wound.

Martha used the laser saw to cauterize as they went. Finally, in a flurry of hands and tools, Lam reached into the open chest cavity.

Merlin stood up straighter. Gwen held her breath and sat forward. This was the moment...they could both feel it.

From their vantage point, they couldn't see what happened when Lam turned away from them, and towards one of her assistants. Lam shared a look with Martha. The masked faces gave no hint of emotion, but when Martha looked up to the observation room, Merlin could see the affirmation in her eyes.

Gwen saw it as well, and let out a cry of relief. Merlin moved to his queen and wrapped his arms around her. They held each other tightly. The sword piece had been removed. Merlin sniffled, his eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. He cleared his throat. "I'm going to go see if my magic can help them."

Gwen nodded and smiled through her tears.

**(*~*)**

Merlin entered the operating theater, staying well out of the way of the activity. "Can I help?"

Dr. Lam glanced at him. She nodded, "Mask up and at least put on gloves. We don't need an infection to set in, while he's in such a delicate state."

An orderly moved over to Merlin and assisted in putting on a long green smock over Merlin's arms, then helped him with gloves and a face mask. Merlin chuckled silently over the precautions. He stepped up to the operating table and with confidence, he put his hands over the wounds, and cast his spell...

Nothing happened...at least from where he was standing.

"Dr. Lam!" One of the techs called out, and pointed to a screen that showed a magnified version of the area they were working on. The flesh around the heart started to mend, but then tore apart again, almost as fast.

"It looks like it's trying to heal, but something is having an adverse reaction within the damaged tissue.." As they watched the screen, the damage to the heart visibly began to increase. Lam urged Merlin to move away, using her elbow. "Sorry, Colonel Emrys, you need to back away. Dr. Jones, can you use your tool again? If we don't stop the reaction, we could lose him."

Merlin stepped back, stunned. His eyes were still glued to the screen, as Martha brought in the laser saw and began cauterizing the wound directly on the heart, while Lam held the pieces together.

"Someone go see if Colonel Carter is around...and bring in the Goa'uld hand device! I'm not going to lose this man now!" Lam called out in an authoritative voice.

He felt like he was in a thick fog. Unknown hands pulled him back towards the door, and out of the mad rush.

A blond woman ran hastily into the room, and pushed her way past the others. A circular device in the palm of her hand lit up. The beam of light coming off of it was focused on the wounded heart muscle.

Merlin held his breath. His eyes shifted between the magnified image on the screen and the king's body. Whatever the device was...it appeared to be working. A collective sigh of relief spread through the room.

The woman, Carter, wavered slightly. It was obvious that she had put a good amount of effort into that small burst, to repair the heart.

Merlin vaguely recognized her. Around the Base, she was often seen in the company of General Landry, or Gwaine's friend Cameron and his team. On one occasion, Merlin had come out of the nearby Gentlemen's facilities, to find the former knight smiling and flirting with her.

Colonel Carter stepped back from the operating table. Her eyes moved to the screen. "Can I have some of the tissue samples sent to my lab?" She asked, taking extra care not to touch anything in the room. Something in her voice, broke Merlin out of his daze. The way she asked the question, gave him pause to wonder if she recognized what had happened inside the body of the king.

Carter turned to leave. She offered him a smile of polite encouragement. "The worst is behind him. I'm sure he'll be able to pull through."

He nodded and allowed her to lead him out into the hallway. Out of sight of the king and all the surgeons, he tore off the surgical scrubs and tossed them in a nearby bin, designated for the soiled attire. He looked down at his hands and wondered why his magic didn't work on Arthur, once again.

A man in full combat gear came jogging through the hallway towards them. Taking off his helmet, Merlin recognized Gwaine and breathed a sigh.

"I just got called back," he huffed, attempting to catch his breath. "Is he alright?"

Merlin nodded and pointed at the woman. "She saved him...I couldn't." He turned and walked away. His head hung in self-doubt, as he climbed the stairs to the observation room.

Gwaine's eyebrows furrowed, "What happened?"

"I'm not certain. I was called in just a few moments ago to use the Goa'uld hand device. He's stable now...but not out of the woods, it seems. When your friend tried to use his abilities to heal him, there was a weird reaction. It almost appeared, as if whatever traces of the shrapnel were left, were having a very specific, adverse reaction against him directly. Like magnets with the same pole turned towards each other. It repelled the flesh instead of joining it."

Gwaine nodded his understanding. He licked his lips as a thought began to form in his mind. Lately, some of the nightmares had returned, although he didn't tell anyone about them. The white dragon, swooped down over them during the final battle. As he watched, the old man on the cliff was shouting foreign words to it, and it spun away...as if...

"Any word on Cameron?"

Her words broke him out of the daydream. He shook his head tiredly. "I was just rotated out, to shower and catch some sleep. We've covered about as much ground as we're going to be able to on foot, and nothing is showing up from the UAVs." The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles were the best thing to employ on short notice for an aerial search. Equipped with infrared sensors and cameras, among other things, it usually made short work of the search and recovery missions. However, even with the current technology, there was no sign of civilization on the planet's surface.

The man, a Sodan warrior, who was the patient in the priority surgery a few days prior, was recovering, but had yet to say anything of value to help the SGC locate their missing Colonel. For the time being, Mitchell was assumed to be a prisoner, though the Sodan claimed he was more than likely dead.

"I'm going to go make sure Merlin is alright."

**(*~*~*~*)**

After checking on his friends, Gwaine headed to the locker room. Merlin had been slumped against a far wall, off in his own world. Gwen's eyes darted back and forth between Merlin and Arthur's prone form in the room below.

Gwaine explained to her that, while the magic didn't seem to work, a piece of alien technology did. Arthur's heart was repaired, and the doctors were in the process of putting the rest of him back together, using more mundane means. They both knew, without Merlin's special abilities, it was going to be a long road to recovery for the king, but Gwen was more than grateful that the worst was over.

His gear was stowed away and he sat on a bench, between the rows of lockers. He held his head in his hands, fighting against a headache. He knew it was a combination of lack of sleep from the nightmares, and the heightened stress of having two of his friends facing different forms of danger. Arthur, it appeared, would recover. Cameron, however, was still missing. He stood and grabbed his cellphone.

Making his way to one of the upper levels, where he could get cell service, he then rang Percival.

A brief 'hello' was exchanged, before Gwaine filled his friend in on the situation.

"Do you remember that ugly little dragon-thing Morgana had at Camlann?" Gwaine asked.

"Barely. We were on that hidden path fighting. I saw it breath fire on the main battle, but then something seemed to scare it away." Percival said, curious about what Gwaine was getting at.

"Merlin was the old man on the ridge who ordered it away."

"He was the old man?...I'm going to kill him."

Gwaine chuckled, remembering his first reaction at finding out that Merlin was Dragoon. "Yeah, you and me both. Anyway...I had a dream the other night about it." He began to explain his half-baked theory.

"Have you spoken with Merlin about this?"

"Not yet, he's in a bit of a state right now. I think until Arthur wakes up, he's not going to be in much of a mood for talking. Also, each time that creature is brought up, he shies away from the conversation."

Percival made a sound of agreement. "I noticed that, as well."

"I don't know..." Gwaine started to feel a thread of doubt. "...maybe I'm just reaching for an explanation."

"I'll ask Jack this afternoon, when I go into work...See if he knows anything about it. He hasn't been around as long as Merlin...but maybe he has some sort of idea."

"What do you mean?"

"Um...well, it's a long story. I'll see if I can find out anything. Let me know if anything changes for Arthur."

"Will do, my friend. Will do."

* * *

_**AN: ...and...we're not there yet LOL getting REALLY close though!**_

_**Proofread by Nance (the now "Posh Puffin") and flow read by IcarusLSU**_

_**Flamie: Glad to be of service *bows* yes, go ahead and complain...I'm drawing it out again hehe**_

_**Aerist: Can't wait to see what you come up with...with what we discussed. Yep that was the episode. **_

_**IcarusLSU: Thanks as always.**_

_**Nance: Well, there's the mall for ya! ;D**_

_**Tholey: Thanks so much! Your comment helped inspire having a bit more Gwen in this latest chapter. **_

**_TiP: I had a few friends growing up, that were about Perc's size. The trucks could handle it...and they were the best for pushing the dang things out of the mud. :P _**

**_Thank you again, everyone! Your reviews just make my heart flutter with anticipation, and they spur me into making the most out of these stories. *air kisses and puppies* (I say puppies because I have 4 furry fosters from the local shelter at the moment...and they've gotten to the chewing stage.)_**


	17. Part 2: Chapter 8

The visions; the flashes; the life outside of him...swept past. Awake and asleep; darkness and dreams.

_"You've brought peace at last...With all your magic, Merlin, and you can't save my life...There's something I want to say..."_

_"You're not going to say goodbye." His companion, his best friend, had said._

_"No, Merlin. Everything you've done. I know now...for me, for Camelot...for the kingdom you helped me build..." He could barely get the words out. His lungs were on fire...his throat threatened to close on him._

_"You'd have done it without me." ...Ever humble, even with the knowledge the king now possessed._

_Struggling for the last breath, he croaked out. "Maybe. I want to say...something...I've never...said to you before: Thank you."_

_The mist began to shroud his mind. He heard his friend in the background. Merlin's voice sounded frantic, before the darkness engulfed him. "Arthur...No! Arthur! Arthur! Arthur. Come on. Arthur!"_

He blinked, trying to clear the haze from his mind.

"A sword in a stone." One man stated, sounding somewhat surprised. His accent was strange, as were his clothes.

The king scoffed silently...He looked, and saw what the man did. The sword was not what he expected. It was a shining silver color with a black wrapping on the hilt. There were no runes...nothing in the rather unwieldy style, that suggested it was anything out of the ordinary...completely unlike the sword he had pulled from the stone, years before. The block of stone was rather unimpressive, too.

The woman had a different accent. "What's that supposed to mean?"

A second man spoke up. "Well, King Arthur once pulled a sword from a stone as proof of his righteousness and royalty."

'Righteousness?' He thought to himself. At least the royalty part was correct. Although, he had already known of his lineage when it happened. The man wearing the glasses made it sound as if it had been a surprise when it happened.

The first man spoke again. "Excalibur."

Arthur would have laughed, had he been able to. The sword before them looked nothing like it!

'Glasses' was speaking, in a condescending tone. "Actually, that's a common misconception. See, Excalibur was forged by the Lady of the Lake at Avalon, but it wasn't given to King Arthur until after the sword he pulled from the stone broke in battle."

He laughed inside the confines of his mind. "'Lady of the Lake?' Are you some sort of idiot? Have you been in the tavern with Merlin?" Arthur tried to move, but couldn't. "MY Sword didn't break!"

He watched as the foreigners attempted to pull the sword from the stone.

Suddenly, another man appeared, as if by magic. Bathed in a white light, he was dressed in long, glowing robes and held a staff. The white beard reminded the king of Merlin's disguise.

"Welcome, ye Knights of the Round Table. Men of honor. Followers of the path of Righteousness. Only those with wealth of knowledge and truth of spirit, shall be given access to the underworld. The storehouse of riches of Ambrosius Aurelianus. Prove ye worthy, and all shall be revealed." The ghost-like sorcerer said.

Arthur's eyes widened, wondering what type of game was being played. The people in the room were most certainly NOT his knights.

"That's incredible." Glasses said, in an awestruck voice. "Certain scholars have speculated that Ambrosius and Arthur were one and the same, but that would have made him seventy-four years old at the Battle of Mount Badon. It's actually quite fascinating. See, Ambrosius was the son of the Emperor Constantine…"

"Mount Badon? Ambrosius? What are you babbling about?!" He felt his lips curl into a snarl. The first actual movement, aside from his mental ranting. Momentarily stunned, he missed the next parts of the conversation.

Another man, as large as Percival, but darker skinned, and sporting a gold symbol on his brow, spoke up. "Perhaps there is something in these tunnels."

The first man, possibly the leader, seemed pleased. "See, that is why he's here. Genius. We're going to split up. I'm with Teal'c. Yo! Wait up." He ran off after the large man, back into the fog.

Glasses and the woman soon moved away, too. The king was left alone, staring at a sword he couldn't touch.

_An elderly woman was lying on the ground, between him and the stone._

_"Thank you," she said. Her voice was weak and feeble. "My time has come. When you have lived as long as I, you no longer fear the journey to the next world. I have a gift for you. You showed kindness, and compassion. Those are the qualities of a true king..."_

_Uther suddenly appeared before him. "How can I be proud of a son who ignores everything that I taught him?... Who is destroying my legacy?"_

He was then thrust into a familiar clearing. The stone and sword in front of him morphed into a more familiar sight. He could hear Merlin speaking to him in the background.

_"You have to believe, Arthur...You're destined to be Albion's greatest king...Nothing, not even this stone, can stand in your way."_

_With the last words, Arthur felt himself able to move, but his body was stiff and didn't appear to be at his full command. He gripped the hilt with one hand...closed his eyes..._

_"Have faith." Came Merlin's whisper from behind him._

_He heard another voice...the man who attempted to pull out the sword earlier. "All right, we passed the tests. So this should work."_

_At the same moment, Arthur closed his eyes and freed his own sword from the stone, just as he had done in the clearing. He held it up, and realized he could feel the physical weight of the blade, although it looked nothing like his beautifully crafted blade._

His vision narrowed, as if a helm with a very small slit in the visor was placed on his head. A full plate mail suit, something he only wore when jousting, appeared upon him. The king's body was weak, especially under the weight of the armor he now wore.

He turned to the man who held the impostor sword. Arthur felt the need to fight. He wasn't sure why, but he wasted no time to ponder on it. The king could barely see through the visor, but he raised his weapon.

"Should've known it wouldn't be that easy." The man in the dark green and black uniform muttered.

They began trading blows. Arthur skillfully gained the upper hand. The others were too busy chattering to make the fight worthwhile. The king saw little use in putting his full effort behind his swings.

The largest man in the group raised his weapon. Other than a loud noise, nothing happened. Even they appeared shocked.

"It appears to be a hologram." The dark man stated plainly.

Arthur's opponent was distracted. He turned to his companion, leaning on the sword. "A hologram?"

The king took the opportunity to strike. His sword went through the other man, causing a magical green light, but didn't appear to actually cut the man.

Arthur stepped back, it would only be fair to let the man have another go. "You need a lesson in swordplay," he told the man, but the words fell on deaf ears.

A few more strikes and the large man called out. "Colonel Mitchell, the sword."

"What the hell is this!" Arthur yelled. He realized, once again, that they were unable to hear him. The sword passed right through the large man, as if one, or both, weren't real. Arthur swung again, this time in anger that these others were employing unfair tactics. They had no honor...no knowledge of the rules of engagement in a duel.

The man...Mitchell...rolled, narrowly avoiding Arthur's strike. He came up with the sword in his hand, and Arthur managed to knock him off his feet. His jaw was set with determination. He stepped back and readied his stance. One more chance...that was all he was willing to give to this idiot in front of him.

Mitchell pushed his friend off and came back swinging. Arthur cursed the restrictive plate armor. He was beginning to feel weak under its weight.

Somehow, despite his lack of skill, Mitchell gained the upper hand. Arthur's body was giving out. It refused to respond to his commands.

"You gave me no choice..." Mordred's voice echoed through his head.

Arthur felt the searing pain of his opponent's blade cutting through him. His heart burned and the cavern, with the people and the imitation sword, melted away.

He couldn't move again. He felt immense pain in his chest. Forcing his eyes open, he saw her; the love he had left, just hours before. She looked older, as if the weight of the crown had taken its toll on her. Was it hours? Was it days?...Weeks, months, years? Merlin had carried him away from her. His mind screamed her name, but she slept on inside the odd coffin...

"GUINEVERE!"

_"Arthur...Oh my god...Arthur?"_

_He could hear the panic in her voice. His eyes opened again, even though he couldn't recall closing them._

_She was there...and so was the pain. His chest burned as if a dragon dwelt inside._

_...And then there was nothing._

* * *

**_AN: I used various transcripts from Merlin and also from Stargate:SG1 season episodes 1 and 2. (I don't own them, they are just borrowed from online sources)_**

**_Special thanks, as always to Nance for her amazing proofreading! _**

**_So...this chapter was meant to tie into the last bit in part one, so for those of you who might not have put it together. Arthur was subconsciously linked to the hologram in the cave from ep 9x1 of Stargate. And I don't know when, but yes there will possibly be a rematch between Arthur and Cameron sometime in the future. LOL_**

**_Nance: OMG you're so funny! Yeah...Merlin and Arthur will definitely have their hands full defending their ladies. As for your theory...you're sort of close, but not quite there hehe. Since I described a child in the other story, I completely forgot about a physical description in this one. I will be remedying that in a future chap._**

**_Flamie: hehe Here's a bit more, and it's getting closer!_**

**_TiP: Thank you so much for your monologue! It's going to be a long road for recovery, but I think in the end it will be worth it._**

**_AWanderersHaven: Thank you so much for your review! It's always exciting to see a new name pop up! I'm so excited to lead you on even more! hehe_**

**_For everyone else who reads and has fav'ed and alerted to me and this story: Thank you!_ **


	18. Part 2: Chapter 9

_**AN: OK here it is... FeedtheFlames (aka flamie...now you'll need to find another reason to want to strangle me hehe) And Thank you, Tholey, for bringing the reviews to 100! YIPEE!  
**_

* * *

"I've received the initial pathology report, on the metal and surrounding tissue." Carolyn Lam stated, once everyone had sat down in the Briefing Room. She looked around the familiar space at the people gathered. They were few, but each held a stake in what she was presenting. Her father, General Landry, was seated at the head of the table. He was intrigued by not only the rebirth, so to speak, of the ancient king, but also in the abilities of the self-proclaimed 'warlock', as a future military strategy against their enemies.

On one side of the table sat Queen Guinevere. She looked completely at home in her modern attire, as she awaited news about her husband. Her demeanor was that of a very professional and outspoken woman, even though glimpses of her humble beginnings still came through.

Lam recalled the look on Dr. Jackson's face when he found out that the mythical queen wasn't born a noble, but a blacksmith's daughter instead. If it wasn't for his obsession in trying to locate Cameron Mitchell, Lam was certain she would have had to ban the archaeologist from the infirmary. Once he got over his initial bout of disbelief, he had begun to show serious interest in trying to put together the pieces concerning who these people were, and why they would show up at this time.

Next to the queen, sat Merlin. His ancient gaze seemed to miss nothing that passed. When he first appeared in the observation room, he was definitely not what she had been expecting; after Major Dallon's proclamation that Colonel Merl Emrys of UNIT, was the mythical sorcerer. He seemed to give a quiet strength to the queen, and they certainly fit the roles of a royal and her chief adviser.

Across from them, sat Martha. Her eyes were on the open folder in front of her, reading the preliminary observations Lam was currently describing. Despite knowing that Merlin and Dr. Jones were married, they conducted themselves with near flawless professionalism around the Base. Every once in awhile, a hint of their relationship would peek through. It was a simple word here, or a brief touch there, when they thought no one was looking.

Gwaine was seated next to Martha, with his own copy of the folder opened in front of him. The manpower for the search had been scaled back, due to pressure from the IOA and the Pentagon. No one on the Base was giving up on Cameron Mitchell, but there were other matters that needed to be addressed as well, including the increasing presence of the Ori Priors in the galaxy.

General Landry folded his hands together and leaned forward on the table in the Briefing Room. He nodded his acknowledgement and motioned for Dr. Lam to proceed.

"The shrapnel has a radioactive signature, unlike anything we have encountered before. We haven't been able to determine yet, why it moved and sought out the heart of the patient, but there seems to be some type of intelligence at work within it...almost like a type of highly evolved bacteria."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Not as far as we've been able to determine. When Colonel Carter returns, she is going to work with Dr. Lee on a more thorough analysis of the findings." She stated plainly, before continuing, "As the metal traveled through the patient's body, it left a trail of the radiation in its wake. Now that it has been removed, the radiation is fading."

"Was that what reacted to my magic?" Merlin's face was carefully measured, as he asked the question. Over the past weeks, and more so after his failed attempt to heal Arthur a few days ago, Lam and others, had become rather curious about it. He had admitted to Martha, his unease of the scrutiny, but he allowed none of his trepidation to show.

"Possibly. What I really need, is a sample of your blood to run some tests."

Merlin sighed, "I already told you. Dr. Jones has been studying my blood for some time, and has found absolutely nothing out of the ordinary."

"...And as I told you, after you transported yourself into the observation room, I doubt she has the resources we do."

"She has a point," said Martha, the scientist part of her speaking up. "Merlin..."

"Forgive me, for being reluctant on this point, but you must understand my concern. I have worked for UNIT since its inception. I have seen what can happen up the chain of command, when someone gets an idea to 'study' something...or someone...who is different. I have tried to be a voice of advocacy in that organization against mistreatment of the more unusual beings."

"Colonel Emrys," Landry interrupted, "I think we have shown that we have been more than willing to work with you. I didn't look too far into things when you came in here, after somehow hearing that Major Dallon and his friend were brought back. I helped to arrange the paperwork for your friend, Percival, to leave this facility without too many questions...and even swept a few things under the rug, when it came to your unconventional travel arrangements."

Gwaine was fidgeting in his seat. Arthur had been his king for the past several years...but it seemed so long ago. It was almost another lifetime to him. His eyes met Guinevere's. He knew she was witnessing the war within the former knight to maintain peace with both sides of himself. He could see the conflict reflected in her, as well...the peasant queen...and the woman who was trying to embrace the change. Gwen broke the gaze, and looked down into her lap.

Arthur laid a few floors above them, still heavily sedated from his surgery. The few times he had briefly awoken, his mind was more in a dream state, not recognizing the world around him. Dr. Lam had explained that, until the tube was removed from his throat, she didn't want him fully cognizant of his surroundings.

Merlin continued to argue with Landry. "All of which I greatly appreciate, General Landry. What do you think my government would say, if they found out you were keeping a man, who by all accounts is himself, a national treasure..."

"Now, you listen here. It was Dr. Lam who managed to extract him from the pod, which you wouldn't have even known existed. Do I need to point out, that it was her lifesaving efforts that have kept him breathing in the recovery room?"

The two powerful men stared at each other. Merlin opened his mouth to say something more, but was stopped by a gentle hand on his forearm.

Gwen sat up straighter and cleared her throat, deciding that now was the time to bring out the queen. Her eyes rose and met Merlin's. Something passed between them in that moment.

Gwaine snorted softly, recognizing the authority in the queen's stare, and the way Merlin unconsciously backed down from it. So many centuries separated them, but his friend was still the manservant, loyal to a fault, to his king and queen.

Even Martha took notice in the sudden change of demeanor in her husband. She knew there were many aspects of his character she had yet to discover, but the calm acceptance as he deferred to Gwen's authority, was surprising.

"If I may make a suggestion, General?" Gwen waited for the General to nod, and then proceeded, "First of all, I want to thank you, and Dr. Lam for all that you have done, and continue to do for myself, my son, and my husband. We would not be here without any of you.

"Merlin's concern is valid. Even in Camelot, those with unconventional abilities were shunned, tortured, and often times...put to death, simply for being different. If we could have some assurances that any information gained from Merlin's blood, be kept in confidence...among a few other requests...then I feel we could certainly find both our interests fulfilled."

Landry's bushy eyebrows rose, and a smirk played at the corner of his mouth. "Your Highness, I believe you would make a very fine lawyer. Alright...Let's put our cards on the table, shall we?"

**(*~*~*~*)**

Gwaine wandered into the infirmary. Arthur had been moved to a semi-private area in the back. He was still hooked up with wires, intravenous lines, and tubes for drainage. The intubation tube down his throat had been removed, just before the briefing with Dr. Lam. Before he had left the Briefing Room, amidst the negotiations, Lam mentioned that she planned to begin weaning him off the sedatives. Everything appeared to be healing, now that the sword piece had been removed.

He pulled a stool up to Arthur's bedside. He frowned at the sight and sighed heavily. His head fell into his hands, and he studied the floor intently. "Hey Princess, they're gonna be letting you wake up soon. I don't know what I'm going to do yet, when that happens. I miss my life with you lot, but I have my life here too. Damn...what am I supposed to do?"

"What you've always done, Gwaine." A hoarse voice whispered breathlessly.

Gwaine's head shot up and he met the blue eyes of Camelot's monarch. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Arthur.

"You look like hell." The king commented with a weak sneer. "What happened to you?"

"A lot, my friend...a hell of a lot." He gave a gentle squeeze to Arthur's shoulder. "Things have changed since the Battle of Camlann. Just so you know, you were out for...well, let's just say it's been a really long time."

Arthur stared at his knight. His throat felt like it was on fire, and the pain in his chest was almost unbearable, but he gave no sign of weakness. He could tell the world he awoke in, was not the same one he had died in. "Is this Avalon?"

"No," Gwaine drawled. "You're alive, but you're probably going to kill Merlin, when you get your strength back."

"Stocks..."

The former knight clicked his tongue. He cocked his head to the side. "That could be a problem. Most...uh...kingdoms...these days don't approve of putting people in the stocks, even though there would be a lot more variety of things to throw...Tell ya what, I'll build you some out at my place."

"You are a landowner?"

Gwaine chuckled. He'd almost forgotten how different land ownership between then and now, really worked. "Fifteen centuries have passed since Camlann."

"Bollocks, you'd be dead, if that was the case...unless, magic was used." Arthur frowned. His eyes shot open and darted around. "Merlin...he has magic, Gwaine."

The Major put his hands on Arthur's shoulders to calm the king. "I know...I guessed a long time before you did. I'm okay with it though. From what he said, you came to terms with it, too."

He could see the thoughts playing out in Arthur's eyes. Normally, when the king was concerned, the blue eyes would become steely and cold, allowing none of his emotions to show. The flitting panic and consternation were easily readable, while the medication was still in his system.

Arthur calmed and nodded reluctantly. "I...did." He began to look around the room. "Where are we, Gwaine? If not Avalon...then where?...And what the hell is all this stuff?"

"I should probably go get the Doc, let her know you're awake." Gwaine began to rise, but was stopped by Arthur's hand, weakly gripping his arm.

"No. That's an order." The king commanded.

"...And since when do I follow orders?" Gwaine said, with a smirk.

Arthur's eyes hardened, "Just this once, Gwaine...I am in too much distress...to have you argue with me."

The former knight nodded and sat back down. It was a rare moment, for Arthur to admit weakness of any kind. If he disobeyed the king now, Gwaine knew he would lose much of the trust they had built over the years. "Yeah, perhaps it would be better to get you up to date on some things, before we let everyone else know you're awake. Are you feeling a lot of pain?"

"That doesn't matter." He met Gwaine's eyes with a pleading stare. "Tell me...please."

Gwaine raked his hand across his scalp. He exhaled loudly, wondering where to start. "First off, you're alive. Gwen is here, and Merlin...of course...Percival is around, too, but he is having travel issues. What Merlin did to save you, after Camlann, worked...just not in the way any of us would have thought..."

Arthur listened while Gwaine told his story. If he had the energy, he would have scoffed in disbelief, or ranted at the impossibility of it all. He was in excruciating pain, but he set his jaw and pushed through it; ignoring all the odd devices and sounds around them. He focused on what his knight was telling him.

"What happened to Camelot?" He asked, after noticing that Gwaine had skirted the issue a few times.

"It fell...but not to war. A disease that even Merlin couldn't cure, ravaged the land. From what he's said, it hit Camelot the worst. Even if you had been there, you couldn't have stopped it, and then none of you would have this second chance."

The king closed his eyes, the pain in his chest coming not only from the wound, but also from the heartache.

"I'm going to go get someone. I think Gwen would want to see you before you get back to sleep."

"I saw her...you know...She was in some sort of contraption, and looked like she was asleep..."

"You were awake?" Gwaine asked, his brow furrowed.

"I don't know. I was in a room with a sword in a block of stone, and there were others, dressed as you are. There was one. The others called him 'Mitchell'. He pulled out the sword and I remember fighting him, but I was so weak...He couldn't even hold the sword correctly...but somehow he bested me. It was then, I saw Guinevere, before everything disappeared."

Gwaine bit the inside of his cheek. He had fought against Cameron in college, and saying the man was a shoddy fencer, would be giving him too much credit. He remembered his friend telling him briefly about the battle with the holographic knight, and made a joke about how that was the only way Cameron could win a sword fight. He knew once the Colonel was rescued, if Arthur saw him...there was going to be hell to pay. "I'm going to go get Gwen. Don't go anywhere."

Arthur glared exhaustedly at Gwaine's attempt at humor.

He didn't realize he had dozed off, until he heard the beautiful voice calling to him. As he forced his eyes open, he saw her. He didn't know, nor did he care, if there was anyone else around. All that mattered, in his pain-clouded mind, was the smiling, tearful face of the woman he never believed he would see again.

She held him gently, as if he were a fragile piece of glass. He didn't care about his wound, nor all the strange contraptions and tubes, as he pulled against them to wrap his arms around his wife. Arthur wasn't able to stop the tears that came from his own eyes. Their lips soon met, and Arthur felt that, at that moment, it didn't matter if he was alive or dead, as long as his beautiful Guinevere was with him.

Pulling back he smiled weakly, while her hand caressed his face and brow. Arthur finally allowed himself to look around. Other people were standing by, including his friend, and servant. Their eyes met, and Arthur offered Merlin, the briefest of nods.

A woman, dressed in a white coat, stepped forward. "Alright, I think you've had enough excitement for the day," she said, in a tone not unlike the one Gaius used to use, while he was treating an injured man. "I'm Dr. Lam, the physician here. I need to ask you a few questions, before I administer some more sedative."

"I don't want any sedative." Arthur responded in scratchy voice, trying to sound authoritative.

"That's nice, Mr. Pendragon, however you need to rest, so your body can heal. I have the sneaking suspicion that isn't going to happen on it's own."

A snickering behind her caught her attention. Without even turning around, she threatened the two men causing the disturbance. "If you boys don't behave yourselves, I will have Security remove you from my infirmary." Her tone was simple matter-of-fact, that left no room for debate if she was serious.

Gwaine and Merlin managed to appear rather contrite, as they bit down on their lips and stifled their amusement.

She began to ask Arthur various questions about his current state. "Are you in a lot of discomfort?"

The king's face twitched, and he tried not to sneer. "I was run through by a sword, after battling against Saxons for hours. Then, I find out you opened up my body, like a hunter gutting a bloody rabbit. I'm attached to...whatever the hell these things are...What do you think?

"I think if you are attempting to intimidate me, with your hostilities, you're going to have to work a lot harder...Your Highness." She snapped.

Merlin couldn't stop the snort that came out at Arthur's look of disbelief. That was all it took for Gwaine to begin sniggering into his hand.

"OUT! Both of you!" Lam ordered.

A small grin of triumph crossed the king's face, until his wife spoke up. "You need to behave yourself, as well. Now, answer the good Doctor's questions, Arthur."

* * *

_**AN: YAH! He's awake, now you lot can't kill me. I hope you like his reaction. I know it wasn't as dramatic as it could have been, but I felt it was true to his character during season five.**_

_**Beta'ed by the Puffin of proofreading: Nance**_

_**Nance: Thank you for all your work! I'm so glad that you are enjoying this story even without knowing Stargate. :)**_

_**TiP: Thanks! I'd been waiting until I could get to that, I was actually surprised no one put those pieces together hehe.**_

_**Aerist: Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! I can't wait to get to the part we discussed for that graphic!**_

_**Flamie: THERE! Happy now? LMAO I love Daniel but he turned into a snarky SOB in the later seasons hehe.**_

_**Tholey (aka Guest hehe): Oh yeah if Arthur was in his top fighting form, Cam wouldn't have stood a chance! LOL Thanks for the review!**_

_**IcarusLSU: Thanks for everything, and for putting up with me**_


	19. Part 2: Chapter 10

Gwen stayed by her husband's bedside holding his hand, while the sedative, administered through the IV drip, took hold. When she was certain he was asleep, she took a deep breath and rejoined the others, who were waiting in Dr. Lam's office.

After more discussion, mostly concerning Arthur's continued care, Martha offered to drive Gwen out to the house. It had been nearly two days, since Gwen had returned there and seen her son. Her stomach was tied up in knots of anxiety. She didn't know how she was going to tell Arthur about his son, not that she thought he would take it badly, but rather that he would then feel guilty for leaving her...which was something he had no control over.

If he did, Gwen knew his anger would be taken out on Merlin, most likely. She couldn't imagine how this much older and worldly version of her husband's manservant, would actually respond. In many ways, she thought she still knew him, but she wondered how much of what she saw, was him putting on a show to help her ease into this strange existence. Merlin had stayed on the Base, in case Arthur woke up again...and also to allow Dr. Lam to begin her tests on his blood. Gwaine was on standby, in case he was needed for the continuing search for his friend Cameron. He'd managed to make it home once, in the last two weeks.

The lives of the two men, seemed so much different...yet, oddly similar...to when they lived in Camelot.

"What is he like?" She asked Martha, out of the blue, as they drove to Gwaine's house. The window of the rental car, which Martha insisted on getting, was rolled down, and Gwen was enjoying the continuous rush of wind that came through.

"Who?" Martha glanced at her friend.

"Merlin. I almost feel I don't know him anymore...perhaps, I don't. He has seen so much over the years, and it humbles me to realize how small of a part I was in it."

"You were a bigger part of his life than I think you realize. He has served other kings and queens over the years, but he has said, none of them compared to his time with you. He's a good man, with a good heart, and he has never forgotten you...well, he did have some trouble remembering what you looked like..."

"He what?"

Martha smiled sheepishly. "Don't tell him I told you this! But...it had been so long...He could recall some things, like feelings and even bits of conversation; but until you all began returning, he wouldn't have been able to describe you. So much of that history has been obscured by different writers. Each one of them has described you all so differently, that it muddled his memories."

"I suppose that makes sense. If you are told something often enough, it can become a sort of truth." Gwen said, insightfully. "In Camelot, I grew up hearing nothing except how evil magic was. Nearly all encounters I had with it, were negative...mostly people out for revenge, I know now. It wasn't until my father was saved by magical means, from a curse, that I began to question that knowledge.

"'Why would someone use magic, in a good way, to save a simple blacksmith?' I thought to myself. Then, of course, I was arrested and accused of witchcraft, by Arthur's father. I was told, later, how Merlin burst into the council chambers and proclaimed that he was the one who healed my father. I thought he was just trying to save me at the time, but now I know he was telling the truth." Gwen giggled softly. "The first time I met him, Arthur had put him in the stocks for mouthing off. This, of course, was after Merlin had already spent a night in the dungeons. I remember saying to him, that he didn't look like the type who could take on someone like Arthur...Do you know what his response was?"

Martha shook her head.

"'I'm in disguise.' I...oh my, I still laugh about that. Had I only known, just how honest he was being at that very moment. I suppose what I'm asking...is he still in disguise? Is he simply trying to act like he used to, just for my sake?"

"Perhaps a bit," Martha answered truthfully, as she turned onto the dirt drive. Many aspects of her husband would always remain a mystery, but she accepted that. "He doesn't purposely keep secrets from me, but there are things in his past, I imagine he would rather forget. Merlin is rather guarded with his real emotions, much of the time. He opens up to me when we are alone. Although, since Gwaine and Percival's arrival, I've begun to see a lot more of it outside of our private life. It almost seems as though...he's become more alive, especially since your return."

Gwen's eyes glistened with tears. "Do you ever think...any one of us will really have a clue what he's been through?...Or how he managed to stay sane all these years?"

"No." She answered plainly, shutting off the car. "There are a couple of men I know, who might be able to understand to an extent...but Merlin can barely stand one of them, and the other...I haven't seen for quite some time. I'm not sure if Merlin even knows himself, at times. Sometimes, I almost think he could use someone his age, to compare notes with. That might be the only way any of us can really know what he's like."

**(*~*~*~*)**

"He's taking this entirely too well." Merlin's disembodied voice stated in a suspicious tone.

Arthur had his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep, but he was listening to the hushed voices speaking on the other side of the curtain.

"I don't know, maybe it's just because of his injuries...or maybe he does understand. You were the one who convinced me to believe in him, to start with. So, don't you go giving up on him now," came Gwaine's response.

Merlin scoffed, "I'm not...I just..."

The rest of the warlock's reply was muffled and Arthur could hear the voices moving away. He took the opportunity to open his eyes and survey his surroundings. His mind couldn't make heads or tails of pretty much anything he saw. Turning his head, he saw the curtains and the odd boxes with the magical appearing lines, that seemed to jump with every heartbeat. The tubes connected to him, and ran to bags and other noisy boxes. The Doctor...he rolled his eyes at the thought...had threatened him harshly, if he even considered removing them.

Something on a small bedside table caught his eye. He weakly reached for it, grimacing as the needles taped to his arms, pulled slightly. It appeared to be a small portrait, the clarity of which, utterly amazed him. Inside the frame was his Guinevere...but even more astonishing was the small child in her lap.

The child had dark hair, but his skin was a lighter tone than Gwen's. It was closer to what his looked like, after he'd been outside training for a full summer. His eyes were gray. A closer look and he could discern various flecks of blue and a darker hazel. Across his small nose was a smattering of freckles, very similar to Guinevere's. He felt his breath catch at the sight of their smiling faces, so lifelike and real enough he could almost touch them.

"Aurelianus."

Arthur was startled at being caught, enraptured by the portrait. His blue eyes glistened, though he tried to hide it. Looking up, he met Merlin's eyes and relaxed.

Merlin walked over, holding a cup in his hand. He handed it to Arthur.

The king started to take a drink before noticing that there wasn't any liquid in it, just pieces of broken ice. He stared at the chunks of frozen water, all very similar in size and wondered why anyone would employ a craftsman to cut ice into small bits like this, that would only melt.

"Still lazy," he said in a raspy voice. "...can't even melt ice for me to drink."

A look of anger flashed through Merlin's eyes, but was gone in the next moment, and Arthur wondered if he had imagined it. "Doctor Lam would prefer if you ate the ice, instead of drinking water outright for now. It'll help give your body some time to adjust with less possibility of vomiting."

Tentatively, Arthur took a few of the chips into his mouth. "You're bedside manner hasn't improved with age, I see."

Merlin sighed and flopped down on the chair nearby. He chose to ignore the way the king was trying to bait him into an argument. Pointing to the picture Arthur held, he said again. "Aurelianus. It means 'golden' in latin."

"I know what it means."

Merlin allowed himself a ghost of a smile. "That's his name. The name of your son, Arthur."

Arthur looked back down at the picture, not fully processing...or acknowledging...what Merlin said. "This painting is amazing. I can't even discern any brush strokes..."

The warlock chuckled, "...Because, it's not a painting. It's a photograph." He noticed Arthur watching him, waiting for an explanation. He groaned, "I've never been good at explaining things, Arthur. You know this. Why are you being evasive?"

"Why the hell wouldn't I be? I barely recognize you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Guinevere, looks different...her clothing and her hair and such. Hell, Gwaine looks downright odd. I don't think I'd ever been able to clearly see both his eyes before...but they are both still people I know. I look at you Merlin, and I don't think I know you anymore."

They stared at each other for a few minutes, in silence.

The king finally spoke again. "The last time we had a clear conversation, was prior to Camlann. I called you a coward...and you were, just not for the reasons I thought."

"We spoke again, after that, you know." Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Yes...we did. I was gravely injured and had just found out you had magic." Merlin started to interrupt, but Arthur's glare forced him to remain quiet. "I meant what I said...Thank you, for all you had done and for saving me. I never thought I would open my eyes again."

"So your words weren't only those of a dying man, trying to clear his conscience? You also told me not to change. I'm sorry, I have...it was rather inevitable."

"Was it?"

Merlin's breath trembled as he inhaled. He could feel a biting remark on the tip of his tongue.

The two men fell into another awkward silence.

Arthur chewed on some more of the ice chips, his throat feeling less scratchy and raw. "You were a coward...for not trusting me before that. Did you set out to purposely wait for me to be on my deathbed to tell me, so I couldn't retaliate...or question it...or god only knows what I would have done...?"

"Which is why I didn't tell you..."

"You were a coward Merlin. You should have trusted me, like I trusted you." Arthur shifted in the bed and looked at the picture again. "I'll have Guinevere tell me about him, when she returns."

Merlin's head was bowed, his ancient blue eyes stared at the floor. "I'm sorry." He whispered, and then stood up. "I'll leave you in peace for now."

Arthur nodded, "Perhaps that would be best."

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Hey Merlin!" Gwaine called, bounding down the hallway. "Just got a call from the girls, they're on their way back in...What's wrong?"

He closed his eyes and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I thought the longest road was behind me, Gwaine. Now, I'm not so sure."

""The princess has had a real shock to his system. It'll take some time for him to acclimate. What's really bothering you?"

"I was happy, Gwaine. I had a good life going. I was looking forward to my future with Martha...for the first time in centuries, actually considering children again. There were dark times over the years, but I always pulled back and left them behind me..."

"You'll get through this." The former knight began to realize how the situation was really affecting Merlin emotionally. He couldn't begin to imagine the memories that had been dredged up for the warlock, by the recent events. He pulled his friend into a hug. Gwaine didn't have any words of real comfort, but he wanted his friend to know he was still there for him. "I'm going to go see if Arthur's awake, but then I have to run. I'm going out with my actual team today."

"Still searching for Cameron?"

"No...the search efforts have been scaled way back. The decision came from the IOA." He wasn't happy about leaving his friend to the Sodan...and he wasn't the only one who had grumbled to General Landry, about his reluctance to give up on Cameron Mitchell. Unfortunately, that was life in the military. When orders were given, you carried them out...personal feelings aside. "We're heading out on a basic Recon...'meet and greet', type of thing. So I can 'get my feet wet.'" He said, his last words mimicking General Landry.

Gwaine looked his friend over. "I'll be out for a couple of days. Are you going to be alright?"

Merlin nodded, "You should go see Arthur, before you leave."

They parted ways. Gwaine headed to the infirmary and found Arthur asleep, gripping the picture of his wife and son. He smiled and nodded to himself, deciding it would be best to let the king continue slumbering.

**(*~*~*~*)**

"How's Elvis handling things?" Martha asked her husband.

She and Gwen had just returned from a tearful goodbye with Laney. The negotiations Gwen had managed with Landry, included...with Gwaine's suggestion...transportation back to the UK. It was unlikely they would be able to see Elaine again before then, but they promised to keep in touch through video chats and such, once Gwen and Arthur were settled.

The queen took Aurie into the infirmary and sat down at her husband's bedside. She and Martha listened, as Dr. Lam went through an update on the king's status.

Merlin held himself back during the conversation, and as soon as Martha got an opening, she went to him. Linking her arm through his, she led him away.

He only shrugged.

"Hey...no shutting down on me." She warned him.

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. I was trying to talk with Arthur earlier...It was a very interesting conversation, to say the least."

"How about we go grab a bite, and sit down outside somewhere? When was the last time you saw the sun?"

He snorted, "A few days at least."

"Let me go tell Gwen what we're doing. Then we'll get you out of here for a bit."

As Martha suspected, the other woman had no qualms about staying, and even seemed relieved that Merlin was finally going to take a break. It would probably be awhile before Arthur woke again, and Gwen was hoping for some time alone with him to introduce Aurie, when he did.

Outside the Base, Merlin stopped and pulled Martha close to him. They held each other silently, and watched the colors of the sunset. The light began to fade, and the pair made their way to the rental car.

"So, want to tell me what happened?"

"Not really."

Martha pinned him with a glare.

He squirmed, and finally relented, "He called me a lazy coward and tried to start an argument. What else needs to be said? He's still the same supercilious prat he was, all those years ago."

"Are you more upset that he hasn't had the time to change...like you, Gwaine, and Percival have...or that he's interrupted your life?"

"I don't know. I once told him I would be happy to be his servant until the day I died..." He scoffed, "Little did I know at the time, I couldn't seem to die."

Martha bit her bottom lip. It was very unlike her husband to be in such a dark mood. She knew he must have seen more death over the centuries than anyone should, but most of the time, it wasn't something he spoke of...especially when it came to himself. "He really got to you, didn't he?"

He looked out the window and sighed.

Martha pulled out onto one of the highways. "Gwen told me how you first met her." She said, trying to get his mind out of the darkness. "You told her you were in disguise."

He couldn't help but snicker at the memory. "I guess that's how he must be feeling, when he looks at me. He never had time to really process the revelation of who I was, under the bumbling fool I let the world see."

"We'll be getting him out of there soon." She said, thinking about the arrangement Gwen had come to with Landry. When Dr. Lam felt Arthur was stable enough, Prometheus would transport them to Merlin's estate. Although, Merlin had yet to tell the former queen exactly where it was located. He half-wanted it to be a surprise, but was also very nervous about how Gwen...or more especially, Arthur...would react. "I think a change of scenery would do well, for you both."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Gwen smiled and tried to stifle her laughter. Cassie sat on the floor a few feet away from the bed, playing a clapping game with Aurie. The little boy was giggling profusely, while he bounced up and down. He reached out his hands to Cassie, and the young woman allowed him to grab her fingers.

He pulled himself up to a very wobbly, standing position and tentatively took a few awkward steps forward, with Cassie's assistance.

His mother's eyes lit up in wonder, when he let go and took a step on his own, before falling back on his padded bottom.

A sound from the bed caused Gwen to turn. Arthur's eyes were open, and watching the little boy in fascination. His eyes shifted to meet his wife's. "Has he been walking long?"

Gwen shook her head, tears of happiness filling her eyes. "No..that was his first step."

Arthur nodded and smiled proudly. "Can I meet him?"

**(*~*~*~*)**

They grabbed some takeaway and followed the GPS in the rental car, up to a viewpoint high above the city. The lights of the city laid out before them, in blueish-white and amber patterns. The moon rose from the flat plains to the east, not quite full, but close enough to it that it bathed the land in a bright orange. It appeared extremely large, which Elaine had explained to Martha, was typical during the fall season and Harvest Moon time.

They spoke a little, mostly about the work Martha had been doing for UNIT in Germany, before she came to meet him in Colorado. They also talked about the situation with the Ori, though neither had a solid grasp on the information. "Feeling better?" She asked, once they had eaten.

He made a sound and nodded, taking a drink out of the paper cup from the fast food outlet.

"Have you eaten much this past week?"

Merlin looked away, sheepishly. "No..."

"I'm guessing you haven't relaxed much either?" She reached across to the passenger seat, and began to play with the dark hair on the nape of his neck. "We could always go find a hotel or something?"

Merlin thought about it for a moment, looking at the view below them. He had been so preoccupied since finding out about the pods, he wasn't sure of the last time he'd slept properly, or even attempted to relax. His altercation with Arthur had set him on edge, and here was Martha, his wife of barely six months, offering to help pull him back.

"I was talking to Gwaine earlier and reminded myself...before all of this happened...I was actually considering approaching you about something." He took her hand gently and rubbed circles on the back with his thumb. "We haven't really spoken about...children."

Martha's eyebrows shot up. "I thought you didn't want kids...because of the immortality and all."

He shrugged, "I didn't...but...I never asked if you did...and...lately, I've been questioning that, especially after you three left me to play nursemaid the other day."

Chuckling, she turned to stare out the windshield. "I don't think I really gave it much thought. When I was younger, before I went traveling with the Doctor, I figured at some point, I might settle down and have children. Then things just began to happen, and I saw so much of the world...including an entire year that never even existed now, because time reset itself. Part of me balks against the idea of bringing a child into the world I know...but meeting Gwen and Aurie...I guess I realize, that what we're faced with isn't nearly as harsh...and here they are, thrown into a completely different century."

He smiled and lifted her hand to his lips. "So?"

"Can I think about it some more?"

Merlin nodded, "I wouldn't expect anything less."

After a few seconds, Martha snickered.

"What?"

"No matter what we decide about this...there's nothing that says we can't practice until then."

Smirking, Merlin turned his head and eyed the backseat of the car. "Why bother with a hotel, looks pretty spacious back there...maybe we should try it out."

She roared with laughter. "Feeling like a teenager?"

He glanced around to make certain their car was alone in the deserted Lookout parking. Merlin then whispered a spell, and Martha eyed him suspiciously. "Just to make certain a Bobby doesn't come along and nab us."

Still laughing, she bolted out of her side and into the rear of the car, while Merlin did the same.

They pounced on each other immediately. Shoes and clothing came off in a frenzy; their lips met in breathless, passionate gasps. He reached for her bra catch, before pushing her down onto the seat, and settled between her legs.

The sound of her cell phone...somewhere in the tangled mess on the floor board, made him pause.

"Ignore it. It's probably my sister..." She wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him back to her. She captured his lips with hers again, and the heated exchange continued...until his cell rang from the front center cupholders. He pressed his forehead to her shoulder for a moment to catch his breath.

Very few people had his number. Those who did, typically only used it if there was a problem. He growled as he reached between the front seats, and grabbed it before it could go to voicemail, not bothering to check the caller ID. "This had better be one hell of an emergency!" He said into the receiver.

"Merlin..." It was Gwen's voice on the other end, she sounded like she was flustered. During the shopping trip with Laney and Martha, they had bought her a simple cell phone for emergencies. They showed her how to use it and programmed in their numbers, as well as Gwaine's and Merlin's.

He sat up, his eyes widened, "Gwen, I'm sorry...what is it? Are you okay? Is Arthur alright?" He began firing off questions.

Martha turned on the dome light and began sorting through clothing items; not needing to be told that their roadside tryst was at an end.

"I'm sorry to call..."

"Don't be. What's happened?"

"Three men came into the infirmary, while I was visiting with Arthur. He began making comments to one of them. Then another one jumped in and began arguing...something about a sword fight, and how they were wrong about things. I don't know...Next thing I know, the first man basically challenges Arthur...I think it was Gwaine's friend." She took a deep breath. "Dr. Lam had to have people restrain Arthur. He pulled out some of the needles and such from his arm. I had Aurie on my lap, and he began to scream. Then Arthur was yelling about how it was their fault for upsetting Aurie."

By this time, both Merlin and Martha were fully clothed, back in the front seats, and driving down the mountain towards the Base.

"Is everyone alright?"

"Dr. Lam sedated him, but she's worried about the strain it put on the injuries...I had to get Aurie out of there, so I don't know what's happening now."

"We're on our way, Gwen. Just take a few deep breaths, we'll be there shortly."

* * *

_**Beta'ed for flow by IcarusLSU, Proofed by Nance, Graphics by Aerist. How did I get so lucky to have such a great team behind me? :D**_

_**AN: There was a little 'easter egg' hint in this chapter for something that will be coming up in a future chapter! Can you guess what it was?**_

_**Ashes (aka Flamie): You are gonna spontaneously combust one of these days! **_

_**Nance: Can you imagine what Gwaine's nephews might do with a set of stocks behind the barn? hehe Thanks for the review and the editing!**_

_**Guest: Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the last! LOL Arthur didn't flip out on Gwaine...but I think Cameron's reappearance kind of set him off a bit hehe**_

_**CarolynneRuth: YAH! you caught up! Hopefully you had a few days to gather your strength for another review! hehe I was so excited when you actually started reading this!**_

_**Tholey: nope not a guest that time hehe AW Leave poor Perc alone...he'll be back in the story soon. Should be some more Daniel and Cam in the next chapter as well :D**_

_**Aerist: hehe...there was an itty bitty little hint dropped in this chapter for that something that will be coming up ;D**_

_**IcarusLSU: Aw thanks! You know how hard I'm working trying to keep them as in character for the respective seasons as I can!**_

_**Everyone else who reads and has fav'ed and followed! Thank you so much!**_


	20. Part 2: Chapter 11

_It was a rather cool, autumnal day; very late in the season. Yet, he had never felt so hot and sweaty while being outside. He had also never felt so weighed down: the chainmail over his shoulders, the shield strapped to his arm, and worst of all, the helmet on his head that allowed him very limited sight._

_"Ready?" Arthur asked. His face was full of malicious glee, at least what little Merlin could see of it._

_"Would it make any difference, if I said 'no?'"_

_Arthur chuckled, "Not really."_

_Merlin drew his sword and held it out in front of him. The attacks came furiously._

_"Body. Shield. Body. Shield." The prince called out with each strike. "Head."_

_"Head?" Head...and it hurt. "Ow..."_

_"Come on, Merlin. You're not even trying!" Arthur called out, egging his opponent on._

_The prince was relentless, each attack causing more and more pain and discomfort. Merlin finally fell over backwards, the helm coming off in the process._

_Arthur stood back and admired the scrawny youth with a serious face. "You're braver than you look. Most servants collapse after the first blow."_

_Merlin allowed himself to grin hopefully. "Is it over?"_

_The spark of malice returned to the prince's eyes. "That was just the warm up..."_

**(*~*~*~*)**

Arthur watched the dark-haired man; eyes moving underneath closed lids, in the middle of a dream.

His own mind felt a bit foggy with the potions that had been put through the tubes and needles. The king's arms were bruised heavily, from where he had torn them out earlier. He realized if he didn't breathe too deeply, his chest wouldn't hurt as much.

It was Merlin's fault, he told himself, even though he knew it was a lie. If he hadn't been so upset by his servant's complete lack of emotion earlier, he might not have reacted so harshly when he saw Mitchell brought into the infirmary; followed by Glasses, and the large man with the gold on his forehead.

When he had first awoken to Gwaine, his knight was different, but still spoke to him in the same manner; still showed him respect. He still called Arthur out, when he thought the king was overreaching, or simply being a prat.

With Guinevere, she was softer and harder at the same time, but the love they shared, still came through. With all his heart, from the first time they had spoken their vows to each other, to the time at the Cauldron of Arianrhod...to even this new time and place...it would always be true. Having to rule Camelot on her own, had strengthened her; trained her to become a proper monarch, with a mettle that reflected such. Becoming a mother had kept her grounded and gave her happiness in the dark times.

Merlin...he was ever the enigma. He looked the same, and Arthur had hoped to find some of their former friendship rekindled with their constant banter. He expected Merlin to challenge him, as the servant always had. Instead, he was met with a cool exterior. Merlin acted like he was walking on eggshells around the king. That was the last thing Arthur wanted, or needed right now. Merlin had been the one true constant in his life for ten years. The one who kept him grounded, who never hesitated to make his opinion known.

Arthur sighed and continued to watch the man sleep. He wondered about Merlin's life...Just how long had he lived? The king snickered softly as a thought occurred to him. It obviously had taken centuries for Merlin to finally learn to keep his mouth shut.

"Knock, knock."

Arthur eyes shifted away from Merlin. He scowled at the man standing at the break in the blue curtains, that surrounded his bed.

Mitchell held up his hands in an offering of peace. "I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier."

"Really?" Arthur drawled out. "From what I saw, your footwork is completely wrong."

"Whoa, hey now dude! I'm trying to apologize. How in the fracking hell, was I supposed to know I was actually fighting the Great King Arthur, and all that shit?! You looked like nothing but a tin can in that armor...and from what I understand, it wasn't even your body there."

Arthur continued to stare at him.

"Look. I came by to let you know...I'm sorry I beat you. I know at that time...it was lucky that you weren't fully there, at least from what Dallon's told me."

"Who the hell is Dallon?"

"Uh...Major Gwaine Dallon, ring a bell?"

Arthur nodded slowly, in comprehension. "Ah, Sir Gwaine. I assume Dallon is his surname then."

"Yeah. You know, both he and I have a clue what you're going through here...Well, not so much me having a clue with the whole ripped from your own time thing...but the confined to a bed, unable to piss anywhere but in a tube or a can, because of a battle injury. That..." He used his hands to emphasize his words. "...that, I know very well."

"Well, if your previous sword skill is anything to judge by, I can imagine you are probably well familiar with my predicament then."

Mitchell chuckled, letting the insult slide. "You have no idea. Although, my injuries weren't from a sword fight. I was a pilot, and got shot down."

"A what?"

"Like a...ship with wings, that flies." He flapped his arms like a bird. "...and you shoot things from it. Well, anyway, I was in one. Soaring through the air, right? A big battle going on around me. I managed a shot that saved a lot of people, but my ship got hit and I went down. I was bedbound and in traction for months."

"I don't plan on being in this bed for months."

Mitchell shrugged. He glanced over at Merlin, still sound asleep in the chair nearby. "Aw...so cute when they're sleeping."...Sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Arthur had to snicker.

"So...I heard from the Doc that when you tried to come after me earlier, you pulled out the catheter."

Groaning, Arthur shifted in the bed a bit. "Yes...whatever that means."

"That was the tube that hooked up to your bladder in a rather...painful way. I'm guessing, if you're anything like I was in your position, there is one thing you want to do above anything else, right now."

"And that would be?"

"Getting out of that bed for a few minutes, and experiencing the joys of modern plumbing and toilets."

"Toilets?"

"Head, water closet, lavatory, loo, privy..."

The voice of the man with glasses came from behind the curtain, where Arthur couldn't see. "Garderobe."

"Garderobe, thank you." Mitchell turned to look at the other man. "Who the hell came up with a name like that?" He quickly held up his finger. "Don't answer that."

The brief exchange between the two men, obviously warriors of this age who had served together for awhile, was actually a comfort for Arthur. Times and words may change, but the bond of brotherhood between men, remained constant. "You do realize...when I am able, I will have my revenge."

"Yep! Counting on it, Your Highness." There was a gleam in Mitchell's eyes that said he couldn't wait. "For now though, I say we call a truce and try to get you back some of your dignity in the simplest way possible."

Arthur nodded, "I accept your terms."

"Awesome!" Mitchell gave the king a 'thumbs up' and drew back the curtain. "We have to be quick or the Doc is going to string us all up."

From behind the curtain was the dark man holding the handles of a chair on wheels. Standing next to him was Glasses. Arthur eyed the chair, intrigued.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Cameron Mitchell, this is Dr. Daniel Jackson, and the big guy here is Teal'c."

Arthur nodded at each of them, as Mitchell and Jackson moved forward to begin unhooking him from some of the monitors, and lifting the bags of fluids off of the metal hooks; reattaching them to the pole, with hooks of its own, on the wheelchair. Teal'c moved forward and lent Arthur his strength to move from the bed to the chair. Daniel kept looking around to make sure they weren't spotted.

"I can't believe, my first conversation with the legendary King Arthur, is about taking him to the bathroom." Daniel said, pushing his glasses higher up on his nose. "Oh wait...this is my life...yes I can."

"Should we wake up sleeping beauty there?" Mitchell asked, indicating Merlin, as he began pushing the chair with the king towards the closest facilities.

Mitchell and Teal'c were already out of sight. Daniel looked down and noticed Merlin's eyes were open. A very small shake of his head, gave Daniel the answer. "No...I think we should just let sleeping wizards lie."

Merlin smiled his thanks, and Daniel nodded mutely in return, before following the other three.

A few minutes later, Dr. Lam and Martha came into the curtained enclosure.

Lam looked at the empty bed, and then at Merlin. "Where the hell is my patient?"

Merlin smiled innocently, blinked his eyes a few times, and shrugged in response. "I was asleep."

She huffed and turned away, trying to find the answer.

Martha gave her husband a look of incredulity and mouthed the word 'where?'

He held up his hands, indicating he didn't know, but at the same time was trying to keep from snickering.

**(*~*)**

Arthur stared in fascination. He reached out for the metal handle and pushed down on it again. He laughed so much it hurt, but he didn't care. "This plumbing is better than anything the Romans left!" He flushed the toilet again, watching the whirlpool form in a rush of water as it was sucked out.

Daniel and Cameron shared a look, just outside the stall. Each held out a fist and pumped it up and down three times. On the third, it was supposed to offer a decision as to who would go in and haul the ancient king out. Teal'c simply raised an eyebrow and cocked his head, ever so slightly.

Both men had their hands shaped like scissors, indicating a draw.

"Arthur Pendragon, I believe it would be prudent if we were to make haste in leaving these facilities at once, before Doctor Lam discovers our whereabouts." Teal'c said in a deep voice. His words clipped and semi-robotic sounding.

The main door to the bathroom opened, and Merlin slipped in. He looked curiously at the three men outside the stall. The toilet flushed again, and he could hear Arthur chuckling.

"Of all the sodding, stupid things to become obsessive about, why am I not surprised he picked the toilet." Merlin muttered. He banged on the door. "OY! Just because it's called a 'porcelain throne', doesn't mean you get to sit your royal backside on it all day!"

"I'm the king, Merlin, you can't tell me what to do."

"Bloody wanker!"

"That's a new one!" Arthur stated with surprise.

"Yeah, I have hundreds of more now, as well! So, I suggest you get your noble arse out here, where I can call you them, to your face!"

The door to the stall unlocked, Arthur looked up at Merlin from the wheelchair. "That's the first sign of real life I have seen from you."

Merlin shuffled his feet and looked away. The other three men took that as their cue to vacate the premises.

The door closed behind them, and the king looked Merlin over. "You are still in there somewhere...aren't you?"

The warlock nodded, and then shrugged, "Maybe." He took a deep breath and met Arthur's eyes.

"This is going to take a while, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I suspect it will."

"Do me a favor Merlin...Don't treat me differently. You never have before." The reluctance to say the next words were etched in his face. "You are my friend...I need that right now."

Merlin closed his eyes and nodded, "I'll try my best..." Almost as an afterthought, he uttered, "...dollop head."

"Idiot." Arthur said with a smirk.

"Mr. Pendragon, are you in here?" Dr. Lam asked in an exasperated voice from the door.

The corner of Merlin's mouth turned up slightly.

Arthur shot him a glare. In a hushed voice he warned, "If you tell her you are teaching me poetry, I will kill you...without any hesitation."

"Uh...no...just me...You might want to try looking in the tavern." Merlin responded, with laughter in his eyes.

Arthur's mouth fell open upon hearing the well-worn excuse. "You cheeky bastard," he whispered.

**(*~*~*~*)**

The ringing wail of the claxons assaulted his ears, the moment his feet hit the ramp on the Earth side of the Gate. He spun around, his P-90 raised and ready as he backed down towards the concrete floor. He could hear Lt. Col. Reeves shouting. "Close the Iris!"

Twenty large blades, made of a trinium alloy, folded together with a hiss, that reminded him of swords sliding across one another. Like a multi-blade leaf shutter on an old camera, they closed off the Gate three micrometers from the watery blue event horizon of the wormhole.

He winced at the sound of something hitting the other side...and then again. He choked back the bile in his throat as the Iris took a third hit, before the wormhole disengaged.

The Iris had held, but at least three people who followed the team through, had been disintegrated before they could set foot on Earth. Gwaine had forgotten about that part of it. He grimaced and shook away the regret.

"Colonel Reeves, what the hell happened?" General Landry asked, through the intercom system that connected the Gate Room to the Command Center.

"Ambushed, Sir." Reeves responded, "Assailants unknown, but they were looking for information on Vala Mal Doran."

Gwaine could see Landry through the windows above them. "Get yourselves to the infirmary, ASAP. Then prepare for your debriefing."

He followed his team out of the Gate Room. They checked their weapons in at the armory and went straight to the infirmary as ordered. Standard Protocol entailed much more for incoming Gate travellers now, than it had before he went MIA. Gwaine found out that, on more than one occasion, Stargate Command had suffered incursions from aliens attempting to destroy Earth during his absence.

He took off his helm and ran a palm over his head. He noticed a bit of red on his hand. Then his ear started to hurt a bit. "Aww! Really?" He groaned, and looked at his helmet. He noticed the strap on the right side was singed.

Reeves turned around and glanced at the Major. "Something wrong, Dallon?" He noticed the injury, an extremely minor nick, at the base of his subordinate's earlobe. Reeves began laughing as he walked into the infirmary. "Hey Doc, got a bandaid? Dallon cut himself shaving."

"Yeah...while I had my helmet on, and we were taking fire...I decided to make myself all pretty, just for you, Colonel!" He blew a kiss at Reeves, who guffawed.

"You guys will just have to wait your turn. Unless it's something critical, I'm a bit busy." Lam said tersely.

Gwaine looked over, while he began stripping off his battle gear. He paused, upon noticing that she was re-attaching Arthur to the monitors. Making his way over, his manner became concerned. "What happened?"

The three men of SG-1 stood off to the side...attempting to appear innocent, Gwaine noted. He corrected his thoughts. Two of them were trying...Teal'c simply stood by, impassive and stoic as always.

Martha was over near the far wall, speaking with Merlin, who looked a bit contrite himself.

Arthur smiled at Gwaine, though he could see the strain in the king's face. "Your friends here were showing me around a bit."

Lam pushed her dark hair out of her eyes and shook her head. "After Colonel Mitchell, Dr. Jackson, and Mr. Pendragon tried to start a fight in my infirmary last night, they decided to become buddies today and Colonel Mitchell wanted to show him the toilet facilities."

She continued, glaring at each one of them in turn. "I am now going to have to replace a few of the staples holding his chest together. Luckily, though, from the X-rays, I can tell that he hasn't messed up any of the wires in his sternum." She sighed, and looked at Gwaine. "I know I probably should have listened to you a bit more, when you and Colonel Emrys told me he was going to be a difficult patient."

"I am sitting right here, you know?" Arthur scoffed.

Lam gave Gwaine a tight-lipped smile, ignoring the man behind her. "You know, let's go ahead and have a look at that ear of yours."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Gwaine felt extremely lucky. The enemy shot had managed to go right between the strap and his earlobe, leaving nothing but a minor laceration. After receiving some ointment and getting the 'all clear' for any alien parasites, he joined the rest of his team in the Briefing Room.

Their first day on P7A- 623, the designation given to the planet they had visited, was rather uneventful. The natives of the place seemed friendly enough; offering to host a dinner in honor of the visitors from the Stargate. The recent discovery of a large Trinium mine on the planet could have opened up possible trade relations, but one person...as usual...had to go blow the deal.

"...We think our arrival information was sent to members of the Lucian Alliance. I happened to overhear a communication, while speaking with our host in their Operations Center. I immediately informed Reeves and we began to head back to the Gate."

"Any idea what they were looking for?" Landry asked.

Another member of the team, Lieutenant Summer, spoke up. Summer was still fresh out of training, with this being only his fourth or fifth trip through the Gate. Gwaine didn't have much rapport yet with Summer or Major Calden, the fourth member of their team. He knew it was going to take some time, but Summer's sense of humor was already annoying him. "They were looking for Dr. Jackson's pretty little alien girlfriend." He chuckled and waggled his eyebrows.

General Landry's face reflected how Gwaine felt about the man's comment. During his recovery, Mitchell...hoping to make Gwaine part of SG-1...had passed along many of the mission reports from his team. While he had never met the woman Summer was referring to, her contributions towards SG-1, and indeed the whole Milky Way Galaxy, were priceless.

She was the one who first brought in the tablets that spoke of Avalon, and the location where the pods were recovered from. If not for her, Arthur, Gwen, and little Aurie, would still be trapped in the underground caverns near Glastonbury. Beyond that, the report from her final mission told him all he needed to know.

The general pinned Summer with a condescending glare. "Vala Mal Doran sacrificed herself to stop construction on the Ori Supergate, Lt. Summer. Have a little more respect for someone we should consider a fallen hero, despite her rather...dubious nature."

Gwaine hid smirk at Summer's embarrassment. He couldn't stop feeling that this was not the team he was supposed to be with. Reeves was a decent enough leader. Standing between six foot and six-one, he was built like a tank. Not as intimidating as Percival or Teal'c, but he was solid, a great shot, and someone Gwaine would have at his back any day...but he was a bit indecisive, especially for a Marine Colonel. He was certainly more adept at following orders, rather than giving them.

Perhaps it was the ingrained sense of chivalry, and the vows of knighthood, that set Gwaine apart from the others. Comments like Summer's were commonplace on the short mission, and Reeves acted more like a brother, than a commander, in Gwaine's opinion. Not giving any reprimand, unless it was in the form of a joke. Gwaine tried to, since he outranked the Lieutenant, but was told to stand down by Reeves. The Lt. Colonel told Gwaine that, although he was the second highest rank on the team, he needed to 'loosen up' and 'get into the flow of things before he tried to pull rank'. Deep down, Major Gwaine Dallon was seething.

Maybe it was just that over the past years, he'd been following a man whose decisive command, and almost sixth-sense when it came to battle tactics, had spoiled him. He had patrols under his own command among knights who respected him. He followed a king, who treated his men as equals and brothers. When it came down to the nitty-gritty, though, Arthur knew where to draw the line, and when to trust his chosen commanders.

Reeves continued to debrief the general. The visit to the foreign planet ended in a firefight against, who they assumed, were hired troops from the Lucian Alliance. The Alliance was a group of smugglers, who had recently come together to form some sort of coalition, in the absence of the recently defeated Goa'uld System Lords. Beyond that...not much was known about them.

Finally, the debriefing concluded. He knew he should have gone straight to a desk, and started the paperwork for the mission and incident reports. Instead, Gwaine found his way back down to the infirmary, which seemed much quieter this time around. He glanced through the window of Dr. Lam's office. The petite brunette physician was at her desk. She smiled at him through the window and nodded in the direction of Arthur's bed, letting him know he was allowed to visit.

Across from her, with their backs towards the window, were Martha Jones and Cassandra Fraiser. He couldn't believe that the young nurse was the same alien girl, who SG-1 had brought back with them years previous, from a planet where she had somehow been the only survivor of a planet-wide plague. She had been around twelve or thirteen when that happened.

He knew the former Chief of Medicine on the Base, Dr. Janet Fraiser, had adopted the little girl, who had no one else left. She was seen on Base a few times; for check ups, or just to visit her mom and SG-1, which was under Colonel Jack O'Neill's command. They were the closest thing she had to family. Now, she was all grown up, and had become a nurse; taking one of the civilian positions at the same place where her mother had worked, for so many years. Her hair used to be a bright strawberry blond. Over the years, it had deepened into a rather nice auburn.

Gwaine continued down the row of empty beds in the infirmary, until he reached the one near the back wall. The curtains were partially drawn around it, and he could hear the little prince giggling and babbling out words like "dada". "Am I interrupting anything?" He asked, poking his head around the edge.

"No, enter." Arthur was sitting up in the bed, grinning at the little dark-haired boy.

Gwen was holding her son. She seemed content, yet a bit frazzled as Aurie kept reaching for anything he could put in his mouth. Merlin was leaning against the far wall, in what Gwaine had discovered, was a very typical pose for the ancient man.

His brown eyes took in the scene. He knew that soon, these four people would be gone. It was odd to think that he could travel to other planets so effortlessly, but the idea that his friends would be across half a continent and an ocean, seemed so far away. "Hey Gwen, you mind if I talk to the guys for a little bit?"

She shook her head, kissed her husband and left without argument.

Gwaine sat down in her vacated seat with a heavy sigh. Merlin and Arthur glanced at each other, and allowed their friend to stew in silence for a few moments.

"What's on your mind, Gwaine?" Merlin finally asked.

He sighed again. "Same thing we talked about before I came back to work here. The Search and Rescue stuff under Dixon ran smoothly. The evacuations in Seattle were commanded by Carter...That woman has a sharp mind for it. This was...a complete Charlie Foxtrot."

"A what?" Arthur asked.

Merlin sniggered, "Cluster Frack."

"I ask again...a what?"

"It means things didn't go smoothly for him."

Gwaine pointed to the minor injury where his jaw and earlobe met. "This was pure luck that it wasn't a few millimeters to my left. We could have called off the mission earlier, or we could have been able to get to a more tactical vantage point." The former knight was whispering heatedly. "I shouldn't have retaken my oath. I should have waited"

"Gwaine, you don't mean that. We didn't know things would go this way...and it was one incident." Merlin said, trying to calm his friend.

"Merlin and I were speaking earlier. He told me a bit about this whole Ori situation. He believes, it might have something to do with the timing of my return."

"Martha hasn't been able to find out much from UNIT or the IOA on it. I've been able to discover a bit more, since I've been here, and I don't much like what I've found. These 'Prior' fellows are sort of familiar somehow, but I can't quite place my finger on it."

"I know what you mean. It's almost like they're powerful, thinking zombies, or something."

"What's a zombie?" Arthur asked, getting a little perturbed by all the acronyms and words of this new era.

Gwaine's mouth fell open, while he tried to think of something to compare a zombie to. "Um...you remember how when Morgana had that Cup of Life deal going...and her soldiers wouldn't die?"

The king nodded.

"Yeah. Like those guys, but with...magical powers and a hell of a lot more intelligence."

Merlin was staring off blankly.

"Yo, Merlin, are you still with us?" Gwaine asked.

The warlock snapped back to the conversation. He looked at Arthur, his blue eyes sparkling with an idea. "Your sword!"

"What sword?...My sword?" Arthur asked, confusion written on his face. "I didn't have my sword when we fought Morgana that first time."

"No...but I did." Merlin was grinning madly.

"How could you? It was stuck fast, in a stone. You told me..." The king's face elongated, and his eyes widened as realization struck.

"Um...what can I say? I lied." Merlin shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

Arthur's eyes searched the area. Gwaine held out a cup filled with ice. The king grabbed a handful and held it up, threatening to throw it at Merlin.

"Do you want to hear the real story, or not?"

Tossing the ice chips back in the cup, Arthur pouted. He motioned for Merlin to continue.

"You remember when that Black Knight came, and no one who accepted his challenge could defeat him? Well, you were supposed to fight him, but..."

"My father had Gaius drug me, then proceeded to lock me in my rooms."

"Well, I went to Gwen, and got her father's best sword. I then went down to the dragon chained below the castle...I had him burnish the blade with magic, not knowing what Uther was planning. I went to give it to you. Uther used it instead and defeated the knight.

"I got in a bit of trouble for allowing Uther to use it. Afterwards I took it to a lake and threw it in, where no one would ever be able to use it."

"Obviously, it didn't stay there..."

Merlin snickered, "No..." He continued to relate the rest of story of the sword to his friends.

"So, when I died...or you thought I died...you threw it into the lake...again." Arthur shook his head in disbelief.

Nodding, Merlin smiled, "Pretty much!"

"What exactly was so special about the magic on the sword, other than being burnished by a dragon?" Gwaine asked.

"It gave the sword the ability to kill anything, even something already dead."

"Nice, anti-zombie weapon! Dallon, will you get me one for Christmas? PLEASE!" The Air Force Colonel laughed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Sorry to barge in... Just got word that Prometheus will be picking you up within the hour."

Gwaine thanked his friend. "Hey Cameron, come out to the house for a beer later?"

"Sure thing! Maybe we can spar, I can show you some of my moves with the sword and shit."

The knight rolled his eyes.

Arthur guffawed, "You will lose, Colonel Mitchell. I guarantee it. Sir Gwaine was the most skilled swordsman in the Five Kingdoms."

"Only after you, Arthur." The knight argued.

"No. You were even better than me." The king looked directly at Gwaine, while he spoke. Arthur pursed his lips and rethought his words. "Well, at least, one on one, you were better...against multiple opponents...not so much."

Cameron laughed while he sauntered away. "I'll shoot you a text when I'm outta this place!"

"How can I do this, Arthur?" Gwaine asked, when the three of them were alone again. "How can I remain here, when my heart and sword are loyal to you?"

The king pondered for a moment, before answering, "I need you here, Gwaine. You alone can keep us apprised of the situation with these Priors. Your first loyalty was to these people...your people...here. I understand that. I will not ask you to go against your oath to them. Until I am ready to join this battle, there is no need for you to feel divided. Even then, I hope we can work together as equals." He held out his arm.

Gwaine grinned with understanding and took the proffered arm. "Well, you guys have fun." He said, as he heard Doctor Lam and the others approaching. "I hear the view up there is wicked."

"It's evil?"

"No...well, you'll see."

"What the hell is this 'Prometheus' thing anyway?"

* * *

**_AN: Possibly one more chapter before the epilogue to this part/episode of the story. Episode 3 is plotted out and about ready to come to life._**

**_As always, I couldn't do this without the wonderful team backing me. Nance, the amazing puffin of proofreading, IcarusLSU for being my sounding block and part-time muse, and Aerist for give visuals to my words._**

**_Nance: I wanted their reactions to each other to be unique from other stories, but still true to character. I'm glad that came through. Um... yes I guess it would be Gwaine's relative as well LOL_**

**_CarolynneRuth: *hands over a tissue* Thank you so much! OMG I'm glad I'm not the only one digging the Martha/Merlin pairing!_**

**_Flamie: Hope this chapter helped to fix it, now go finish your homework hehe_**

**_TiP (aka Guest): I'm leaving most of the confrontation to the imagination, but I hope the bromance here made up for it!_**

**_IcarusLSU: Aw thanks!_**

**_Aerist: I think he realized it, and is taking steps towards growth._**

**_Tholey: Yes they can! But there will be more to come. Laney will be back, I have plans for her :D_**

**_Thank you for reading and reviewing! You guys are an amazing motivation!_**


	21. Part 2: Chapter 12

**_AN: Huge thanks as always to Nance, who took the late night shift of proofing to get this done by this morning, and helping me more than she can imagine!_**

**_Um...some candy at the end for the fangirls/boys hehe._**

**_This is technically the last chapter in Part 2. I will be posting the epilogue immediately following._**

* * *

_"...the stars look very different today_

_For here..._

_Am I sitting in a tin can._

_Far...above the world._

_Planet Earth is blue,_

_And there's nothing I can do..."_

_~David Bowie, Space Oddity (Not mine, just used to set the tone)_

* * *

Gwen stood nervously in the area Dr. Lam indicated, along with the others. She fiddled nervously with the blankets and toys surrounding Aurie in the brand new baby stroller Laney had given her. The manicure around her thumb was ruined from her anxious chewing, while she had watched the medical staff prepare Arthur. The majority of the tubes and wires were removed, and she had barely heard the conversation that had taken place in all the activity.

_Dr. Lam had come up, just as Arthur asked the loaded question about Prometheus. She smiled and answered, "You'll see soon enough. We're sending you home with Colonel Emrys today. Cassandra Fraiser will be accompanying you, to assist with your in home recovery. As per your wife's agreement with General Landry, she will report your progress to the SGC._

_"Dr. Jones has signed all of the paperwork to release you into her care. She will be taking over as your medical provider, from here on out. You can start working on getting mobile once you're settled. Despite the excitement earlier, you're healing really well, and there are no traces of lingering radiation in your bloodstream. So, I think we're about ready to get you out of here."_

_"You..." Arthur's snarky comment was cut off by his wife, coughing into her hand. He took a breath and nodded to the doctor. "Thank you."_

While Arthur was moved into the wheelchair, Guinevere hugged Gwaine tightly to her. "Tell your sister, I'll talk to her soon, alright?" The queen was going to miss the sassy brunette who had become a true friend in their short time together. She was sad that she had missed getting to meet Gwaine's nephews, but it gave her something to look forward to in the future.

Gwaine returned the embrace. "I will. You keep these guys in line, alright?...And spoil that little boy of yours rotten."

She nodded and stepped aside.

Gwaine held out his arm to the king. They didn't need any words, just the handshake and a nod. He then turned to Merlin and wrapped his arm around his best friend's shoulders. "I'll let you know anything I find out." He whispered into the warlock's ear.

"Take care of yourself out there, Gwaine. I don't know what I'd do, if I lost you again."

Merlin stepped back with the others. Everything was ready to go.

"Wait!" A call came from the infirmary door. Daniel Jackson appeared and ran towards the group. He stood alongside Merlin and nodded to Dr. Lam. "Okay, I'm good."

Lam nodded to an airman standing nearby. He keyed up the microphone on his radio. "Prometheus: you are good for transport. Total count: six adults, one child, and gear."

A shimmering light began to form around the group. Gwen sucked in her breath and clenched her teeth. Merlin knew what was coming, yet still found himself tensing. Arthur looked at the odd lights in fascination, while the infirmary around them began to disappear.

Martha smiled at Dr. Jackson and Cassie. All three had experienced such transportation methods before.

The world around them began to rematerialize...and they found themselves on a metal plate deck next to a wall of thick, clear windows. Outside, almost all that could be seen, was mostly bathed in the dark blue of the midnight sky...stars twinkling across it.

"What is that?" Gwen asked, pointing to a luminous blue round object in the distance. She swallowed down her fear, but her hands were still trembling.

Martha moved next to her friend and hugged her shoulders. "That's the Earth. We're quite a ways above it...out in space."

Merlin stared, wide-eyed. "That is..."

"...wicked." Arthur finished Merlin's expression. There was no other way to describe what they were seeing.

"I've seen pictures of it, but...wow." He felt giddy as he stood next to Arthur's wheelchair.

The king cackled, oblivious to his wife's distress. "Amazing...absolutely, amazing."

Cassie moved in to help Martha with Gwen. They pulled the queen away from the windows, and to a place where she could sit down and gather her bearings.

"Yeah, it is pretty spectacular, even once you get used to it." Daniel commented.

Merlin gave him a sideways glance. "What made you decide to tag along?"

"I wanted to give you this." He held out a thumb drive. "Sam has been working on analyzing your blood with Dr. Lam. They've compared it to most of the known samples in our database, and came back with an interesting hit from some of the shared Asgard information."

Merlin's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "I'll be back in a minute, Arthur." He patted the king's shoulder.

Arthur waved him off, only half paying attention. His mind was still with his eyes, and the view from the window in space.

"What did they find out?" Merlin asked, walking away with Daniel.

"Well...not much. Actually, just some poetry, and a few records that are in a language I haven't deciphered yet." Daniel said. He took off his glasses and began to clean them on the bottom corner of his shirt. "At first glance, your blood appears very human. It's when you get down into the genetic level with the chromosomes and such, that Sam noticed a few extremely minor differences. Most equipment nowadays wouldn't even pick it up. She's sent a sample off to our lead geneticist, in the Pegasus Galaxy, based in Atlantis. However, that could take a few months before we get the results back."

Merlin chuckled, "You know, I actually applied to be on British team to Atlantis...I was turned down because of my age."

"Yeah, well...wait..." Daniel did a double-take, before he realized Merlin was joking. "Uh..."

"Actually, I was turned down because they already had a linguist, and they saw no need for someone specialized in British Artifacts." He shrugged, "What can you do, right?"

"I figured someone like you, would cast a 'spell'...or whatever it is you do...to get on it."

Merlin turned towards the table where Martha was still sitting with Gwen. The queen was breathing easier, but still appeared shaken from the experience.

He smiled, "I might have, but I met someone and decided that was a better opportunity. Funny how destiny works. Even if you think you are totally in control of your own fate, when you reflect back you can see the path clear as day, and you begin to discern the patterns of the web that have brought you right where you need to be."

Daniel nodded. He knew exactly what Merlin was talking about. A few years previous, Daniel had died. One of the Ascended, a woman named Oma, had come to him upon the moment of his death. She offered him a place among the Ancients. During his time with them, he had learned many of their mysterious ways. He wasn't allowed to interact with people from his former life, but when Anubis wiped out an entire planet, Daniel couldn't stand by in the other dimension anymore...especially when he had lived with those people for a time, and had married the chieftain's daughter on his very first mission through the Stargate.

He was cast out, shortly thereafter, and given human form again...although his memories of his past life and Ascension had been blocked from his mind. "It's still rather frustrating in the moment though...When you think you're heading one way, and find you've gone in the completely opposite direction."

Merlin held up the thumb drive. "Thank you for this. I'll be sure to let you know if anything on it is relevant."

The archeologist shifted his feet and fluffed his sandy blond hair with his hand. "Can I ask you about...Camelot?"

Laughing, Merlin placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "I've been waiting for you to. Come, let's go sit with Arthur, I'm sure he'd be interested in this, as well."

**(*~*)**

The swirling white clouds of white covered much of what he saw below. Off to his left, he could see the sun passing quickly over land. A distinct line of shadow crossed the Earth. Areas that were once green, brown, and blue became darker...but at the same time, they lit up, like thousands of torches across the land; flaring to life simultaneously. They outlined where the large land masses had just been.

Arthur wished he could ask someone about it, but there was no one close by him. He wondered where it was they had just been. In the mountain cavern, carved out by the hands of men and strung with artificial lights, he didn't know if it had been day or night. The king looked for anything that resembled Albion, but nothing made sense. A tightness began creeping into his chest. If he couldn't find the land where his kingdom had been so many centuries ago, how significant was it to begin with?

He had ruled a very powerful kingdom...and it suddenly hit him. Merlin's and Gwaine's words: it was all gone. Arthur felt like a piece of dust that once littered the castle he called home. He was nothing compared to what was out there. Only his friends somehow linked him to that place, where he used to reign. The power and might of a great army; the people whose lives depended on his protection...they were all gone. Everything he had known...lost to the past.

He felt the tears cutting tracks down his face, and wondered for a moment when he had begun to cry. Arthur didn't bother trying to wipe them away.

"Arthur?" Merlin's voice asked softly, "Are you alright?"

"What's the point of this, Merlin? I am a king without a kingdom...without people. Who am I supposed to be now? Camelot doesn't even exist anymore. Does anyone, outside of us...even know about it? Is it just some footnote in history? Am I even mentioned as a king?"

Merlin tussled his black hair and sat down on the floor, his back to the window. "I think anything I say right now, you'd argue that I'm being biased." He turned to Daniel. "Perhaps you can tell him, Dr. Jackson. Do people of this era know of Camelot, and some prat who reigned over it for a few years named Arthur?"

Daniel shook his head and laughed, "Yes...yes they do; not just as a footnote either. Even today, fifteen hundred years later, people are still searching for the ruins of Camelot. It's been debated whether it even existed in the first place, but what really survived is the idea of it. The dream of a glorious kingdom, built by King Arthur."

Arthur scoffed and wiped his nose across the sleeve of his robe. "I didn't build it. Camelot was built over three hundred years before I ruled it."

"...But that's not the point. Everywhere in the world, right or wrong, people have theories about it, and it all comes back to one thing...you." Merlin pinned him with a meaningful stare.

Blue eyes, rimmed with red, turned towards the archeologist, expecting this to all be some joke. "My father, Uther, ruled over Camelot longer than I did. It was King Bruta who built it. What does history have to say about them?"

"Bruta...hmm...There was a Trojan named Brutus who, after freeing the slaves of Troy, set sail and came upon a land filled with giants, called Albion. It was said he and his men slew the giants, and he then named the island after himself...calling it Britain. History says that he founded New Troy...which later became London. I don't recall any mention of him being associated with Camelot.

"As for Uther...he's...uh..." Daniel readjusted his glasses, unsure of how much he should say.

Merlin snorted, "Uther is remembered as the little brother of the High King Ambrosius, youngest son of Constantine II. He was known as a tyrant, and the father of King Arthur. Most people couldn't care less about him, although there has been a lot written about the circumstances around your birth. Most of which is fictional."

"Oh?" The archeologist perked up immediately. His excitement at finding out the truth behind the myths first-hand was palpable. "This is what I've been waiting to hear!"

Arthur looked at the man oddly. "Why anyone would want to hear about my birth...is beyond me. It was a very dark time for my father."

Merlin nodded, "It was a dark time for many in and around Camelot, especially those with magic." He glanced at Arthur, asking silently for permission to tell the tale. The king nodded once, slowly, before turning to gaze back out the window. "Uther was married to Ygraine Du Bois...an arranged marriage. In most stories told nowadays, Ygraine somehow was married to Gorlois, and already had Morgana."

He looked at Daniel, who silently agreed.

"However, Gorlois was actually married to Vivienne, and they had Morgause. At some point, while Gorlois was away, Uther had an affair with Vivienne...and Morgana was born. Morgause had begun to show the gift of sight. Uther feared that his transgression would become known, so ordered Morgause killed. Gaius took pity on the girl and smuggled her out of the city.

"Later, when Ygraine still hadn't conceived, a deal was struck with magic. I don't know the whole story, but it was blood magic, which required the balance of life and death. Arthur was born, but his mother died. Uther took it upon himself to purge all magic from the land, and the war began. He was basically the Hitler of the Dark Ages, committing genocide on all who even thought about magic, it seemed. Thankfully, war with other kingdoms, and constant threats from Saxons, Picts and others, kept Uther and his tyranny rather confined.

"He ruled over Camelot for...a couple of decades afterwards, before an assassin's blade took him down. That was when Arthur became king."

Most of what Merlin told Daniel, Arthur already knew, or had guessed. A few other details, were a complete surprise to him. Arthur mused to himself, that the next few months were probably going to be filled with more emotional pain, than physical. "I ruled Camelot for less than five years, before I was struck down at Camlann, by Mordred."

"...Who was your son?" Daniel questioned.

Arthur looked at the man with disdain. "Are you on the cider? Mordred was one of my knights. He turned on me, after I ordered the death of his childhood love. She had tried to assassinate me, and was wholly unrepentant. I had no choice."

"Dr. Jackson. Colonel Emrys. We're in position for the transport." A uniformed crewman said, coming into the room.

Merlin patted Arthur's knee. "Ready to go home, my friend?"

Arthur straightened in the chair and cast a lingering gaze outside. "I'm really not just a 'footnote?'"

Daniel laughed, "No...the idea of Camelot, ruled by Arthur Pendragon, and his Knights of the Round Table, have been an inspiration to...kings, presidents, peasants...across all classes and all over the world, for centuries."

The king smirked at Merlin. "...And I'm sure you had nothing to do with it?"

"Actually, I didn't. Most of the stuff came from Geoffrey, of all people."

Rolling his eyes, Arthur groaned, "No wonder it's so messed up then. I remember what the Hall of Records looked like."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Merlin told Arthur he had hoped to bring the king home during the day, but Arthur was thankful to be back on his home soil, no matter the time. Something about the field where they materialized...just felt right to him. The transport beam faded away and he shielded his eyes from the glare of the bright lights, that shone on the area.

Merlin explained that he had a variety of protective measures in place on the actual residence, and it would be easier for Prometheus to set them down outside the defended area. He could have made adjustments to his security, or given more details to the commander of the Battlecruiser. "...But..." He whispered to Arthur. "I really don't want these Yanks creeping around my house."

"Ever paranoid, Merlin."

He shrugged, "Yeah, but it's gotten us both this far."

"'Bout time you slackers got 'ere! Stop off for a pint at the local space pub on the way, or what?" A young man with a thick accent and dark skin, said sarcastically.

"My Lord!" Another voice called out.

Arthur turned away from the lights and towards the voice of one of his knights. He blinked in surprise. He didn't know why, but he half-expected to see the piecemeal armor of his largest knight.

Percival stepped forward and dropped to his knee. He was wearing dark trousers similar to those that Merlin wore and a large leather jacket, tailored to his size. "Sire...I...I never thought to see you again, after Camlann."

"I never thought I'd see anyone, Percival. I'm thankful you are here."

"Come. Let's get you all into the vehicles and get back to the house."

Arthur didn't get to see much of the place. He was beginning to really feel the pain of his injuries. The added excitement of having been on a spaceship, and his first ride in a vehicle; along with the emotional overload from the past few days, left him completely exhausted. He glanced around the room, as Percival helped him into the bed, noting briefly how much it looked like his room in Camelot.

Gwen gasped when she saw it. The walls were different, off-white and smooth, but the layout and furnishings were almost identical. The only other real difference either of them noticed, was the addition of the crib, where Arthur's desk would have been. Aurie was already out cold, when Gwen laid him down.

Merlin nodded silently to Percival, thanking him. The large man had performed incredibly, in executing Merlin's plan to make the rooms as comfortable as possible for Arthur and Gwen's homecoming.

Cassie and Martha checked over Arthur's vital signs. Soon after, the royal couple were left alone in a place that felt more like home than anywhere else had, for what seemed like a very long time. The king allowed himself to relax, while he waited for his wife to change into her nightclothes. She crawled into the bed next to him and clung to her husband tightly.

"Don't ever do that to me again, Arthur. Please..."

He didn't have to ask what she meant. He couldn't begin to imagine the pain she had gone through after Camlann. "Never, my love."

**(*~*~*~*)**

"So...?"

"So?"

"How was the first mission with the new team?"

Gwaine rolled his eyes. "Rather not talk about it." He took a large swig out of his beer bottle.

"Ouch! Well, if it's any consolation, Reeves is pushing his luck lately. Did you ever know Master Sergeant Bond?" Cameron asked.

Gwaine shook his head. "Should I?"

"He was a good man, resigned recently after being on SG-18 for three years." He poured some of the liquid down his throat. "Ah, this is good stuff. Anyway, Reeves was promoted during a brief stint, when the IOA had attempted to bring the SGC under civilian control, instead of leaving it a military operation. Lot of things got wonky during that time."

Gwaine huffed, "Reeves was a Lieutenant when he first came on. He and I served together on SG-6...Had the makings of a good officer...but even back then, I don't think he had the right stuff for a command."

"I hate to assume things..." He glanced at Gwaine. Both men snorted at the obvious lie. "...but, I think Landry putting you as the Second-in-Command on that team, was a strategic move on his part. The only one who's stuck with SG-18 under Reeves, has been Calden."

"Great!" Gwaine rolled his eyes. "So, he's hoping since I have history with Reeves, I can come in and try to clean it up?"

Cameron shrugged and set his bottle on the deck railing. "Alright, how about we leave work at work, and you show me these moves the king was boasting about?"

Gwaine laughed and yelled through the back door. "Hey Toby! Grab those practice swords I showed you the other day, and then you and your brothers get your butts out here!" Cameron cocked his head in curiosity. He shrugged, "Kid's been giving me grief, saying I probably don't really know how to use a sword. I want to show him how good his uncle really is."

An hour later, and the small audience of Gwaine's family had come out onto the deck. Laney was wincing with each strike of the hard, wooden practice swords. Pops was clapping his knees and roaring with laughter. Randy and Greg, ages seven and six, were mimicking their uncle's duel around the porch. Toby was sitting on the steps, out of breath from having been allowed to participate a little bit during the warm-ups.

"Quit toying with me, man!" Cameron yelled at his opponent, as he huffed and leaned on the sword, like a cane.

The sun was setting over the mountains. Elongated shadows crept across the plains. Gwaine stood opposite his friend and twirled the sword in his hand. He showed no signs of slowing down or weakening, though his bare torso glistened with sweat in the orange light of the evening.

Cameron stripped off his shirt as well.

"Down, Mom!" Toby said, pretending to gag, as he heard the quiet hum of appreciation behind him.

"No ogling my friends, Laney. We both know how that turned out before!"

"Stuff it, Gwaine. That was back during your first year of college." His sister argued.

"Speaking of dating..." Cameron asked, raising the stick in his hand. "Are you ever gonna ask Carter out?"

"Eh...We had lunch a couple times on base, while you were gone. We decided we're probably just better off as friends, and going to the occasional concert together."

"Uh huh, I see..."

Pops yelled from the porch. "Said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw."

Gwaine turned to laugh at his grandfather and the old saying. He realized his mistake immediately as Cameron's faux sword was suddenly pointed at his chest. Turning his brown eyes back to his friend, he glanced down at the sword and smirked. "Really?"

In a move quicker than Cameron could have imagined, Gwaine had his sword back up and with a twist of the wrist, the Colonel was suddenly disarmed. He blinked when Gwaine caught it. "You actually are good at this, you know?"

Gwaine shook his head, his dogtags jangled around his neck. "I'm just getting warmed up."

* * *

_**Review responses:**_

_**Tholey: Other than Merlin 'needing to pee' and kicking a chamber pot, I don't think there was any mention of bathroom facilities. Got that edit fixed, thank you! Sad to leave this part behind, but there is a method to my madness. **_

_**IcarusLSU: You're going to be helping me with those names, you know! LOL Give Dee her trampoline back!**_

_**Aerist: Merlin will be using his magic more. He's still a bit uneasy about the whole situation too.**_

_**Flamie: Can't wait to see what you have to say about the epilogue coming up!**_

_**Guest (TiP I'm guessing hehe): Well? did you like his reaction?**_

_**Nance: Thank you as always! Eh...not sure where exactly I'm going with other pairings yet. I have some ideas, and you'll be one of the first to know about them. ;D**_

_**CarolynneRuth: Yes I've had one, as well and yeah...BLEH. Thank you!**_

_**Ok now here I go to post the epilogue...I'm more excited to post it than I have been to post any part of a story! I hope you guys like it!**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	22. Part 2: Epilogue

_**AN: 2 posts in one day! Well, here's the epilogue of Part Two...a bit of a teaser for what's to come in Part 3 :) Enjoy! Thank you to Nance for Proofing, IcarusLSU for flow reading, and Aerist for graphics! **_

_**I'm going to try and get a good chunk of work done before I start posting Part 3. But don't despair, it will be coming!**_

_**(reposted due to a serious error concerning the Stargate canon, thank you 'Guest' for bringing it to my attention! don't forget to read the previous chapter as well that was posted just before this one!)**_

* * *

He hit the small glass against the wood surface, causing the bubbles to rise in it. He quickly tipped his head back and drained the colorless, tasteless liquid. It was a costly drink in these parts, but he felt he deserved it after his last run. It wasn't often he was awarded such a lucrative payday and the Rekkar, an alcoholic drink from the Sentarians, was a treat...especially since he was the one who had smuggled it past the Goa'uld Mother Ship, in orbit around the small desert planet.

Although, he had to admit, with the major defeat of the Goa'uld System Lords by the Tau'ri, it wasn't as dangerous as it used to be. He thought of the Tau'ri...who were what others in the galaxy referred to, when talking about the people of Earth. It had been decades since he was last there, and he pondered briefly about returning. At one time, the green and blue planet had been his home...but that was long in the past.

The place had changed. The people had advanced enough technologically, in the past few decades, to be considered part of the rest of the galaxy. Earth had been thrust into a war with the Goa'uld during the last decade, and much of the universe sat back to watch it play out. There were so many different species throughout space, and the Goa'uld had been playing a dangerous game of conquest in the Milky Way.

He inhaled sharply and bit back against the burn of the alcohol. He set the small glass on the bar in front of him, then quickly reached for a taller glass that held a beverage similar to the beer found on Earth. He drained the second glass, the contents instantly cooling the fire that the Rekkar had started in his throat.

He stood up from the barstool and looked around. This area of the planet had a dry desert-like climate, although he knew there was an ocean not too far off, that offered a bit more greenery. The bar he'd just delivered his cargo to, had an open cabana feeling around it, and butted out into a bustling marketplace.

Most of the inhabitants of this world were Jaffa, former slaves of the Goa'uld. Their ancestors had been taken originally from Earth, long before his time there, and forced into servitude to the aliens who proclaimed themselves to be gods. Over the centuries, they had been genetically engineered to become incubators of the young Goa'uld symbiotes.

The true form of the Goa'uld were snake-like creatures that took humans as hosts, in order to assert their power. When he first ran into them, even he had a hard time believing they were not gods. Now, he knew better.

As their hold in the galaxy waned in the years following the war with the Tau'ri, others began to clamor for power. The Lucian Alliance was a coalition of smugglers, who recently founded a new hierarchy and were quickly becoming a known force. Others, such as the Tok'ra...Goa'uld-like creatures that, instead of suppressing their human hosts, worked together in a true symbiotic relationship... were too small in number to be considered a threat.

The Tollan, until recent years were a powerful and advanced race. Until they had been defeated by the Goa'uld, Anubis, and were forced to flee their home planet. They were the closest relative to humans in the galaxy, but their laws didn't allow them to share their superior technology with anyone they considered primitive...such as the Tau'ri.

The Asgard were in a class by themselves, and survived off of cloning their own bodies and transplanting their consciousness. Considered one of The Alliance of Four Great Races, they excelled early on in the galaxy, and helped to guide many of the younger races. They only stood about four feet in height. They had large heads without definable noses, set with dark bulbous eyes, and a grayish skin tone on slender bodies that appeared too thin, to support their sizable craniums. A war with a robotic race, called the Replicators, kept them occupied in their own parts of the galaxy, and so they didn't interfere with most of the day-to-day occurences.

The Alterans, or Ancients...as many of the races in the Milky Way called them...were listed among the members of The Alliance. Many, until recently, thought they were extinct, or in hiding. The man knew for a fact that not all was what it appeared, when it came to this particular race.

A predecessor to humans, the Alterans found a way to Ascend from their physical bodies into a pure form of energy. Their level of technology was far beyond any other race. At the height of their civilization, they had built the vast network of Stargates that spread throughout the known universe, and beyond. However, they then gave it all up for a place in a higher plane of existence.

Another seldom seen member of The Alliance, were the Nox. He'd only ever heard of them; very few had ever seen them. Said to be nature-loving pacifists, most of what he knew was rumor.

The fourth race, was called the Furlings...and even less was known of them, than the Nox.

Humans were well on their way to becoming a new power. 'The Fifth Race', as the Asgard called them. They were similar to the Alterans, though it would take many more generations before humans accomplished the same level of advancement. He wondered if he would be around to see it, but he brushed away that thought as quickly as it came.

His blue eyes narrowed at a man, dressed in gray robes and walking casually through the crowd. His skin was deathly pale, and his eyes were clouded over with a white film. In one hand, the robed figure held a staff with a large blue crystal on top of it; in the other, was a book.

Recently, rumors of this man, called a Prior, and his ilk, had begun to spread. It was said they had destroyed an entire planet, in their efforts to build a Wormhole that would span galaxies. He had learned that the Priors were the handmaidens of a race called the Ori. Once of the same species as the Alterans, they had split off at some point and Ascended as well.

The Alterans believed in allowing the 'lesser races' of the universe to find their own paths to enlightenment. The Ori, on the other hand, preached absolute obedience to gain it. The consequences to those who disobeyed them, or refused to bow down before the god-like powers granted to the Priors, were devastating.

Until recently, it was said that the Ori had kept to their own galaxy, in a distant part of the universe, which many others avoided...and with good cause it seemed.

He picked up his long trench coat from the back of the barstool, and slung it over his shoulder. Putting on the goggles, that served as protection from both the sun and the occasional sandstorm on the planet, he shielded his eyes. He adjusted an ancient sword, slung across his back.

The man was never far from the sword, as anyone who knew him could attest. Yet, not a single one had ever seen it out of its scabbard.

A nod to the owner of the establishment, who still appeared a bit grumpy at paying the smuggler, and the man walked out onto the street. It was best to get out of the area, before the Prior decided to take a liking to this world.

As he made his way to the spaceport, where his ship was waiting, a man dressed in the Tau'ri Military uniform unexpectedly stopped in front of him. He brushed on past, without a second glance, while the man cursed. A few meters further away, he heard someone calling.

Three men, dressed in Tau'ri Military uniforms, stood nearby. One of them was cursing and calling to the fourth man, whom he had nearly run over.

He paused, hearing the name the leader called out. Something inside him was suddenly intrigued. He stealthily slipped into the shadows of a nearby market stall to watch.

**(*~*)**

Gwaine had his head down, as he walked along after his team. He was trying to make sense of the readings on his handheld scanner, and didn't notice the crowd around him. Suddenly, he was knocked forward a step. He muttered a curse and looked up.

The man kept walking, but Gwaine stood gaping at the sight.

"Major Dallon, are you joining us today?" The commander of the group called out to him.

Gwaine's eyes scanned the crowd for the man he had just seen. "Keep your panties on, Colonel...I'll be there in a minute." He was getting rather annoyed with Reeves, and had begun to stand his ground. Gwaine knew he was pushing the limits of insubordination.

He saw what appeared to be a bar at the edge of the street. An awning covered the main seating area. He moved up to it and caught the proprietor's attention. "Hey, was that blond man with the sword just in here?"

Distrustful, the portly man raised an eyebrow. "Depends..."

"Look, I'm not after him for anything. I just want to know the basics."

The barkeep smirked, "I doubt you can afford the basics...Human. So...no, he wasn't."

Gwaine's eyes narrowed, "Obviously, you know who I'm talking about. Can you tell me his name?"

Jutting out his thick chin, the man turned away to help another...paying...customer.

"Major Dallon!" The leader of SG-18 called again, impatiently. "Oh, Sir Gwaine! Get your head out of the Dark Ages and come on! We need to catch up to that Prior!"

Gwaine exhaled and looked around again. He was beginning to think it was just his imagination. He started to move out, when a young boy ran up to him.

The boy smiled and held something up. "For you, sir...for luck!"

Gwaine nodded and took the item. He felt his heart stop. In his hand, he held a coin made of gold. Worn, but discernable on one of the sides, was the seal from the forges of Camelot. "Where did you get this?" He asked, but the boy was already gone.

Taking a deep breath, he grasped the coin tightly and nodded, hoping whoever sent it to him would see that he had received the message.

**(*~*)**

The man in the shadows watched the Tau'ri rush off, still in pursuit of the Prior. A tug on his sleeve caused him to look down.

The boy stood there with his hand out, waiting for his payment. "I gave it to the right one, right?"

"You did well, boy." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of triangular coins, that served as the local currency. Handing them over to the boy, he ushered the child off.

He ran a hand through his blond curls and released a breath. "Well, Excalibur," he whispered to the sword on his back. "Looks like it's time to take you back to your owner."

Leon smiled and continued his journey to the spaceport, where his ship, a modified Tel'Tak, was docked. He couldn't believe the time had finally come...and he was going home.

_"Far beneath the ship, the world is mourning._

_They don't realize, he's alive._

_No one understands, but Major Tom sees,_

_Now the light commands, this is my home..._

_I'm coming home..."_

_Peter Schilling - Major Tom (Coming Home) (not mine)_


	23. Part 3: Prologue

**_Brave New World, Part 3: Keys of Fate_**

_I raise my flags, don my clothes  
It's a revolution, I suppose  
We're painted red to fit right in  
All systems go, the sun hasn't died  
Deep in my bones, straight from inside  
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make my systems blow  
Welcome to the new age..._

_ "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons_

* * *

_1500 years ago..._

"It is done." The dark-haired woman stated. Other beings of light gathered around and seemed satisfied. "Moros and the weapon he was working on have been dealt with." What she didn't tell the other Ascended beings was that, while she had destroyed the sword in the laboratory under the hill of Glastonbury...she had not destroyed Moros, nor had she removed all traces of the research. It was not their place to interfere, nor to create any semblance of weapons, on their path to higher enlightenment. After seeing the reason Moros was working in secret, Ganos Lal began to understand why.

There was no reason to suspect that the Ori would find this galaxy. They had taken measures before the Ori and the Alterans had split their culture; each on their own journey to Ascension, to protect this place from them. It was to be a final sanctuary to the greatest race the universe would have ever known. Unfortunately, some of the humans had gained enough power, and had slaughtered nearly all who remained of the proud race.

She left, feeling a sense of guilt wash over her. The last remnants of anything that could destroy the Ori, if they ever discovered this place...were now gone.

"...Not as gone as you might think." Someone said, as if reading her thoughts.

Ganos Lal chided herself. She was usually much more cautious about guarding her thoughts. She turned towards the voice. While their Ascended form had no actual substance, she could see the echo of his former body in her mind. His black hair, dark eyes, and easy smile put to rest any fears that she might be discovered.

"I know I am new to this form, and being among your people, but I witnessed glimpses of the future, when I stepped through the Veil between worlds. The storm will gather, and precautions must be taken to stop it."

"We are not like the Ori. We cannot interfere in the lives of those who have yet to reach Enlightenment."

"...But, what if it means giving a chance to the ones who taught you how to Ascend in the first place?" He smiled and held his hands out to the side, or he would have, if he still had a physical body.

Ganos Lal gave him a curious look. "What do you know about them?"

"Only that there may be one who still exists."

"Impossible. The last of their kind recently perished. If only, I had not destroyed the sangraal Moros was working on..." She steeled her resolve. "...but the specimen he had was tainted. If I did not get rid of it, and someone found it..."

"What if I told you, I know where a similar item is, but without the taint of darkness of the one Moros was working on."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. Had anyone else said that to her, she would have thought it was a trick to reveal her true feelings on the matter. "If it is true...then it must be found and..."

"Protected?"

"There is no way we would be able to guard such a secret, without the Others finding out."

The Ascended man began moving away. "I knew a man, once. A good man...honorable and noble. He was touched by the magic of something the druids of this world called the 'Cup of Life.'"

"The druids are wise for ones so young. The Nox did well in teaching them how to use the items they needed. But, I don't see how that could help us now."

He shrugged, "They are the Guardians of many items of power, as a friend once taught me."

Ganos Lal glanced around and moved closer to him, as if to whisper, although they needed no voices to communicate. "Tell me what you know, Lancelot."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Bodies littered the field. Blood ran together. Gauls and Brits...there was nothing to differentiate between the two. Nothing was in the rivers of red, flowing and swirling, unending across the plains of the foreign land, to say 'This was my comrade,' or 'That was my enemy.' Even the cloaks they wore...the tabards and tunic over their chests...showed only the color of blood.

The flags and banners were ripped and shredded. Scavengers feasted on the rotting flesh. 'They should be feasting on me,' he thought. Slowly, he rolled himself over to face the sky. A shadow fell across him.

"Lancelot?" He knew in that moment that he had died. The blond warrior expected...he wasn't sure what he expected when he met his final battle...but the stench of the corpses and the blood on his face, were not among those thoughts. "Have you come to guide me?"

"Yes, my friend...Just not to where you expect."

Leon gasped at his former comrade, thinking for a brief moment about the traitor he knew, when he last saw the man. "Merlin told me...years later, that it wasn't your choice."

Lancelot shook his head, and watched the knight rise to his feet. He turned and began walking away. Leon thought it strange how Lancelot glided, more than walked. The dead man's clothing stayed unsoiled, as he passed among the fallen.

"Do you still believe in Arthur, the Round Table, and what it all stood for?"

"Always." Leon responded without hesitation.

"Will you still be able to hold that faith in a time so far into the future, you can't even imagine it?"

Leon stopped, and gazed upon his friend. "I once told Arthur, I would ride into the Mouth of Hell for him."

"That is what you may need to do. First, however, you must find the sangraal."

"The Cup of Life?" He asked, thinking this was some form of trickery. The moment the doubt entered his mind, however, it was gone. Deep inside, he knew what the other man spoke, was true.

Lancelot chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers down Leon's spine. "Things are not meant quite as literal as they seem. The Cup is safe. What you must find, is the other piece of the puzzle. For every chalice among those who seek balance, there is an opposing force."

The blond knight pondered the riddle. After the king had fallen at Camlann, and Leon had learned the truth about Merlin, he became more intrigued by the world of the druids. They had healed him with the Cup of Life, and afterwards he had wanted to know more. In their sacred rituals, they always had a bowl, or a cup, to symbolize the feminine aspect of the world...a balance to the blades with which men used to fight. "Arthur's sword."

"Find it. Protect it...until he returns...though the wait may be long."

"I'll have Merlin show..."

"No. I'm sorry, my friend, but this is a journey you must make alone. More may be at stake than you could ever imagine. Merlin, has his own path he must follow."

He drew a breath through his nose, and immediately regretted it. The sun had risen high, and the stench of the fallen assaulted him. He pushed passed the sudden nausea. "Very well."

He found himself standing beside a lake, months after his conversation with Lancelot's spirit. His hair and beard had grown out, until he resembled a hermit in the mountains, rather than a groomed noble. His clothing and armor were in serious disrepair. Leon had taken care to avoid running across anyone he knew, or who might recognize him, as per Lancelot's instructions. He questioned his sanity quite often, but something in his heart kept him believing in the Sacred Quest.

The overcast sky of winter threatened to be his doom, if he stayed out in the elements much longer. White-capped waves danced over the surface of the once serene water. He took a step towards the edge, wondering how he was supposed to retrieve a sword from its depths.

Thunder crashed in the clouds above. Lightning lit the area. He shielded his eyes from the blinding strikes.

When he opened them, a sword, untouched by the passage of time in the depths of the water, had washed up upon the rocks at his feet.

He bent to retrieve it and was immediately engulfed in a sparkling cascade of light. It was as if the Heavens had awoken and were shining down on him in the middle of the storm, offering him their blessing. Leon closed his eyes in reverence.

The sounds of the maelstrom quieted around him. The air felt warm and inviting. His breath, for the first time in years, came smooth and clean, without the stench of war or funeral pyres.

Blue-gray eyes opened, and he gasped in shock, falling backwards, when he tripped over his own feet. A creature stood before him. Large black eyes blinked slowly. The frail body was naked, but yet held no discernable hint as to its gender. A sizable egg-shaped head, with no real nose, had only two tiny gaps for nostrils above a slit for a mouth. Its ears resembled acorn caps more than anything else. A spindly hand, with webbing between the fingers, motioned for him to follow.

"Come, Sir Leon, Knight of the Round Table, you have much to learn for your journey. I am Heimdall, of the Asgard High Council." The voice sounded metallic and strained, but Leon decided it was more feminine than anything else.

A million questions raced through his mind, and he couldn't seem to settled on a particular one to ask.

Heimdall blinked at him again. "I will try to answer as much as I can. I was asked, by a very old friend, to assist you at the beginning of your journey. The rest will be up to you."

* * *

_**AN: So there you have it...alien intervention and a hint at things to come. :)**_

_**Amazing thanks as always to Nance and Icarus for the flow and proofreading.**_

_**IcarusLSU: hehe thanks, now keep your mouth shut! LOL**_

_**Guest 1: hmmm I'm not even sure what I'm up to. Thanks for the heads up on my canon errors! I went back and edited that part to fix it. (don't know how I messed that part up.)**_

_**CarolynneRuth: At this point in the SG canon, the Goa'uld are a minor factor...there's bigger baddies on the horizon!**_

_**FeedtheFlames: hope this little chapter answered your question hehe More to come!**_

_**Guest 2: Thank you so much! Hope I don't disappoint!**_

_**Nance: I need to find a vid of the replicators and send it to you LOL I don't like repeating things hehe so Leon has his own unique way of getting to the future hehe**_

_**Tholey: HAHAH OMG you crack me up! I just love reading your reviews, you have no idea! Yeah...I realized the Asgard mess up...but they have a strong protective presence in the Milky Way. So, I'm not to worried about that, besides it's a neighboring galaxy...just up the block so to speak LOL. OH you are gonna die with what I have planned. muwhahaha**_

_**TiP: thanks! Hope this update comes through for you! I know a lot of people were having that issue.**_

_**Nicey: Still working on the Elyan angle, as for Lancelot...well...he's still around hehe**_

_**Thank you all for reading, favoriting and following this story! *air kisses* to all you wonderful reviewers!**_


	24. Part 3: Chapter 1

_BAM! Bambambambambambambambam!_

The gunshots rang out through the concrete bunker in quick succession. There was a click and pause, as the slide locked back; signalling that the chamber was completely empty. A thumb deftly released the lock, allowing the clip to fall into his hand. He placed both pieces on the shelf in front of him, that separated him from the long corridor towards the target. Stepping away, he allowed the short, black-haired, Welsh woman to move forward.

Curling her tongue, she played with it against her teeth, and flipped the switch to the mechanism that brought the paper target towards the cubicle, where they stood.

"Oooh!" She said, unable to keep the excitement from her voice. Through the yellow-tinted safety goggles, Gwen was able to see the tight grouping on the two-dimensional man. "Perce...this is nice...very nice, indeed!"

Percival beamed at the compliment. He had to admit, he was quite enjoying the modern weaponry. Thanks to Arthur's rigorous training, the knight had become quite proficient with the crossbow, during his years in Camelot. Although getting used to the recoil of the guns took a few sessions, it was an easy transition to figure out how to aim the firearm.

After Merlin's wedding, the large man had flatly refused to board an airplane...and Merlin had rather quickly put his foot down regarding teleporting him everywhere. Through Mickey Smith and Captain Harkness, he was offered a job at Torchwood. They had set him up with everything he needed to get started in this new world, including replacing the identification that the SGC had provided him, with something of their own.

_"...Not that we don't trust the American government. Well, I don't...but that's beside the point!" Jack had laughed, with his own American-style accent. It was the easy-going laugh of a man who seemed to truly enjoy his life._

Although the large man and Jack Harkness had gotten off to a rocky start, the flirtatious leader of Torchwood was actually a rather decent man...once you saw past the bravado and teasing. If you argued or appeared disgusted, the teasing became relentless. However, playing along, or even ignoring Jack, typically caused him to move onto other things.

Once Percival actually arrived at the underground Torchwood Hub, he was introduced to the other two members of the team. Ianto Jones appeared to be the main force of coordination for the group. He was a sharply dressed man, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. A few years older than Percival, his main job was to ensure communication among the teammates ran smoothly. Ianto was soft-spoken and kind. He always had a fresh pot of coffee, tea, or Percival's favorite...hot apple cider...ready for when they returned. He always wore a freshly pressed suit and tie. Well, almost always...

Percival found out first hand, and quite by accident, when he arrived at the Hub early one day, that Ianto was Jack's boyfriend. When he interrupted, what Jack hastily explained, was a game of "Naked Hide-and-seek," the sixth-century man was certain he was scarred for life.

The blond knight discovered through the other member of Torchwood, Gwen Cooper, that Jack was actually a time-traveller from the fifty-first century, and was currently stuck in the twenty-first. He wondered if he could even begin to imagine that far into the future. Meanwhile, Mickey spoke up and told him that there really wasn't anything special about it; a few more aliens, a lot more people, and robots that ran spaceships with fireplaces linked to the eighteenth century, as their power supply. Percival couldn't tell if Mickey was trying to pull one over on him.*

Gwen was, by far, the only sane one of the bunch, in his opinion. Her pale skin, dark hair, and common Welsh accent, made her the closest thing he had experienced to his home century. She took to him immediately, bringing him under her wing like a baby brother. Even her husband, Rhys, welcomed the displaced man into the fold easily...especially after he found out about Percival knocking Jack flat during a wedding. Rhys beamed triumphantly at his wife in an 'I told you so' manner, which Percival later found out was because the Welshman had done the same to Jack during his and Gwen's wedding.

It was an easier transition into this new world and lifestyle than he had expected it to be at first, although his grip on modern vernacular still remained rather inconsistent. His new friends went out of their way to laugh with him and assist him, in any way they could, including teaching him how to drive a vehicle. He, in turn, told them about his old life, and began teaching them the basics of sword fighting. Mickey had cleared out the living room in his flat to give Percival a place to stay in town, even though the large man often found himself heading out towards Camelot to ground himself, and to escape the constant noise of the city of Cardiff.

He talked to Gwaine and Merlin often, and learned how to use the video chats, so he could see their faces. Merlin had moved to be with his wife in a city called New York, and Gwaine kept his job in the underground mountain military base to be close to his own family. Aside from a couple of all too brief trips by Merlin to the UK, the three hadn't seen each other face-to-face since the wedding.

Percival pushed the feelings of loss aside. In his life, he'd witnessed enough grief to make anyone's head spin...but in the sixth century, losing those you cared for was simply a part of life. It didn't make the pain any less, but nearly everyone was brought up to expect it to happen somehow.

In his personal experience, he'd lost his family to a raid on his village at the hands of King Cenred's men. It was shortly afterwards that he met Lancelot, and that was followed by him being introduced to King Arthur. The Knights of Camelot had quickly become his second family.

Through Gwaine, into this new time, he was able to keep more than he had from his first family. In some ways, he was thankful that he and Gwaine had been taken when they were. He was unsure if he could have stayed in Camelot without Arthur on the throne. It would have been a difficult choice for any of them to make.

For all his success in adapting to the new life, he felt his heart drop when his friends called to tell him about the stasis pods that had been found. He'd learned about similar items through his Torchwood training, so they didn't need to explain to him what it meant for Arthur, or for Gwen and the child. When Merlin had asked him to begin preparing the large manor house on the old Camelot lands, he had jumped immediately to help.

He was more than grateful for his newest surrogate family during the few weeks that followed. Each and every one of them had pitched in, and helped sort things in order for the arrival of the ancient king. It was all taken care of, with time left to spare...which was part of the reason Gwen had dragged him to the firing range.

Percival looked over the paper target and smiled, "Thanks, Gwen...for everything."

She clucked her tongue against her teeth and waved his words away. "No need to thank me. You should know that by now. We're family...It's what we do. Now, what time is it?" She asked out loud, but looked down at her own watch. "We should get you on your way soon. I think we've burned up enough time to hold off the majority of the anxiety before your king arrives, eh?"

He nodded and the two of them began to clean up the area. When they were done, Percival met up with Mickey Smith, and the two of them began the drive, just after sunset, towards Camelot.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Steam curled around their faces from their exhaled breath. The moon lit the hill meadow, casting cool shadows through the dying grass. Twin beams from the headlights highlighted the area in front of the two men, as they waited outside the vehicle.

Each footstep sunk into the wet ground and created suction against the soles of their boots. The sound of Percival pacing and shifting his weight, was amusing at first...but after an hour of waiting, Mickey was threatening to taser the large man, just to get him to stop.

As the darker man was making his comment, the wind shifted and became a touch warmer. He pushed off the SUV that he was leaning against. "Oy, Perce...I think they're coming."

Percival ceased his anxious meandering and looked skyward. A few minutes later and a bright light engulfed the meadow. When it dissipated, a group of people stood in the once again nearly dark meadow. One man was sitting in the center of the group, in a wheelchair.

He shielded his face, covering his eyes from the glare of the lights, but Percival knew who it was. He didn't let his disappointment show. In his mind, he had always imagined Arthur standing tall and strong in his armor, if he ever saw him again. The man illuminated appeared exhausted. His eyes were rimmed with red, as if he had been recently crying. The tanned face from days of patrols and training, was pale.

Mickey said something to Merlin, which Percival barely heard, but it was enough to help him shake off the disappointment brought on by his assumptions. "My Lord!" He called out, and moved in front of Arthur. Percival dropped to his knee, uncaring about the dampness that began seeping through his jeans. He would do so on ice or sharp rocks as well; so great was his loyalty to the man who was forever his king.

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Wonder what he would do...if I started calling him 'Elvis?'"

"Probably not get the joke."

Merlin snickered at his wife. He sat on the edge of the bed,contemplating the last few weeks. It was well past midnight, when everyone in the house had finally gotten settled in, and he was enjoying the few moments of peace. He closed his eyes and hummed softly, when her delicate fingers began tracing nonsensical patterns over his back and shoulders.

"What's wrong, Merlin?"

He shook his black head of hair. "I...nothing. I think I'm just exhausted." Something was plaguing his mind, but he hadn't been able to focus long enough to deal with it. He knew it would probably be a few days before he was able to sit down and process everything. The thumbdrive sat idly in his fingers.

Martha wrapped her arms around him from behind, and rested her chin on her husband's shoulder. "What's that?"

Merlin leaned his head against hers. "Daniel gave it to me. It's some preliminary results from the blood tests and what it kicked back from their database."

"Why don't we sit down tomorrow and begin looking through it." She suggested. He seemed reluctant to put it down, so Martha plucked it from his hands and put it aside. "Leave it be for tonight, lover. I was sort of hoping we could continue our 'practice.'"

"Practice?"

Martha began kissing along the length of his neck, up to his earlobe. "We haven't had a chance to finish what we started up on that mountainside..." Her fingers threaded playfully through the dark hair on his chest.

Inhaling sharply through his teeth, his senses came alive. He felt a soft moan escape from low in his throat. "Ah, yes...That 'practice...'" He allowed himself to escape into the rise of feeling she brought him.

**(*~*)**

They laid together, entwined around one another; revelling in the afterglow. Merlin allowed his mind to drift in and out of a light, almost meditative, doze. Happy memories from his long life, relived themselves in his semi-conscious mind.

_"Father...tell me a story about your king?" The little fairy girl danced around the meadow. She was the splitting image of her father, with her black-as-night hair and bright blue eyes._

_"Father, I want to hear about the knights." She demanded, when he put her to bed._

_"Father, can you tell me about the time you met the Faerie Queen?" She was the apple of his eye._

_Her younger brother was more his mother's son than his. Although the boy had the same natural aptitude for magic from an early age, he was more interested in hunting and sword play. Gawain used to sit impatiently throughout his father's lessons, looking longingly out the window at the training grounds below, until Merlin relented and let the boy go play with the knights of his uncle's realm._

_Gawain had learned just enough to keep his abilities in check. Admittedly though, they weren't quite at the same level as Merlin's had been, when he was a child. Blasine had a very different temperament and constantly followed her father around; absorbing anything she could from his stories and lessons._

_He was watching her fend off advances from various knights and lords of the kingdom, when he felt an arm encircle his waist. He lifted his elbow over Mithian's head and let it rest on her shoulders._

_"Your daughter..."_

_"Our daughter." He corrected._

_She smiled and laughed, the lines around her eyes seeming more pronounced. "No, she is yours. I may have carried her in my womb, but I lay no claim to her, my Lord Husband." She joked._

_The once dark brown hair on his wife's head, was more gray than chestnut now and he felt a pang of grief, knowing that time was now against them._

_"Do not look at me like that, Merlin. I do not wish to see you mourn for me, while I am still standing by your side. I want you to promise me something."_

_He blinked and turned back to the ball. "Anything."_

_"Don't ever mourn for someone while they live. Be it myself, our children, or anyone else you may encounter. You have too much love in your heart to allow it to be occupied by grief that has yet to come. Enjoy those of us who are with you, while you have us. There has been more good than not, hasn't there?"_

_He nodded slowly. For all the heartache he had experienced...the ones he had loved, already lost...Mithian helped him to remember the happiness. The pain of losing each one lessened as the years passed, and he realised he wouldn't have traded a day of the ache for the good memories that he had made, during his twelve years in Camelot._

_"Oh, look. There is the knight from Essex we've been hearing about...Gawain's friend. Galahad, I believe his name is."_

_Merlin's eyes widened...not from knowing the knight whom his wife was indicating...but rather at what...or who...Galahad was looking. Merlin felt his wife's arm tighten around him, holding him back, when they noted their daughter smiling coyly at the knight. "I've never seen her look at a man like that. I wonder if he has bewitched her somehow."_

_Mithian released a very un-ladylike laugh. "I am certain he has done no such thing. Blasine, on the other hand..."_

_"...would never do such a thing with her gift."_

_"Perhaps not with her magic, but her beauty has certainly enchanted him, it appears."_

_Years later, he sat by the fireside in his daughter's home. Mithian had succumbed to age a few years prior, and Merlin felt like a shell of a man. He sat and watched the flames dance in the hearth. When he and Mithian first discovered his inability to age, he'd cast a curse on himself that would allow his appearance to change as if he were growing older. Merlin hadn't bothered to remove it yet._

_The wizened old man, with long white hair and beard, thought nothing of it in his grief over his lost love._

_He felt a tug on the sleeve of his robe, and looked down into shining brown eyes, surrounded by thick locks of chestnut hair._

"I was thinking..." Martha's voice seemed a bit out of place first, until he realized where he was.

"Hmm?" He asked, tightening his arm around her.

"...About what you asked me to consider."

He opened his eyes and gazed lovingly at the beautiful woman, waiting for her to continue.

"Do you really want to have children?"

_"Grandfather...can you tell me a story?"_

Merlin smiled at the memory of his granddaughter's imploring voice. "Yeah. Yes, I think I do."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Dinner had been cooked and eaten. Dishes were done. Toby was in his room, supposedly doing his homework, after his evil uncle had taken away the Xbox to keep him from getting distracted. The younger boys were playing out in the yard somewhere, with their toy swords. Pops had gone into town to get gas for the tractor, and to have coffee with a buddy of his at the Legion.

Gwaine flopped onto the couch, ready to relax for a couple days of downtime after the last couple of weeks.

A few hours after Arthur and Merlin's departure, his team had been sent out to a planet that recently experienced their first visit from a Prior. Following Arthur's instruction to continue his work with the SGC, Gwaine had gone through the Gate for the relatively short trip.

At first, he was sure what he saw off-world was just a symptom of his overworked brain imagining things. Then, the kid ran up to him with the coin. Not daring to chance his teammates finding out, he had stuffed it down in his pocket until after they got back to Earth, were debriefed and sent home.

He fished in his pocket for it, but came up empty-handed. Grumbling to himself, Gwaine realized it had been left in his uniform trousers...which were currently in the washing machine. His face showed his disgust at the realization and he made a mental note to get rid of the front loading machine soon. Laney was always complaining about it, and now he understood. A top loading washer could be opened anytime during its cycle, but the one he bought to go with the new house in Colorado, locked when it was in use.

He was just about to switch on the television when his mobile phone rang. He reluctantly answered it, noting the Base number that appeared as the caller identification. "Dallon."

The automated message that followed, informed him that he was being recalled to duty due to an emergency situation.

A string of curses followed the disconnection. "Toby!" Gwaine called up to his oldest nephew. "I gotta go back to work."

"Whatever."

"You can play the games on the main TV, once your homework is done. I need you keep an eye on your brothers. I'll call Pops and let him know to come on home...Think you can manage until he gets here and your mom gets home?"

The teenager came out of his room and agreed, trying not to show his enthusiasm at being left in charge. Gwaine knew that as soon as he walked out the door, the homework would be discarded, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Laney was working as a closing manager at a local grocer, and wouldn't be home for a few hours yet.

He said goodbye to Greg and Randy, ordering them both to behave and to start getting ready for bed, before calling his grandfather. He hated leaving Pops with the boys on what was supposed to be his night off from the bedtime routine duties, but the old man, being a veteran himself, understood and agreed to head back home.

The coin was forgotten for the time being, as Gwaine headed back to the SGC, where he found out that Lieutenant Fischer of the current SG-6, had been infected by an off-world virus... which was showing signs of rapid spread.

* * *

_**Thanks again to Nance and IcarusLSU for helping with the proofreading and flow. I have quite a bit written, but have been revising things a bit. Hopefully the next chapter should be out this weekend. :) **_

_**I will be revising the summary of the story a little bit before the next post. Just to make it a bit shorter. Name of the story and everything else will stay the same, but I wanted to give you all a heads up.**_

_***Reference to the Doctor Who episode The Girl in the Fireplace (which BTW had Angel Coulby in it as well LOL)**_

Review responses:

Flamie: hehe glad you liked the lyric quotes.

Aerist: Ask me in chat and I'll see what I can clear up for you.

CarolynneRuth: Aw thanks...yeah I'm still trying to pin down who Merlin might be too. hehe

IcarusLSU: hehe yeah I think it's a standard in fanfiction and sci-fi/fantasy...if you're over 200 years old...you must speak in riddles.

AWanderersHaven: Oh Aliens are going to mess with even more! LOL

Nance: I always thought Lancelot got the short end of the stick in the series, so I wanted to make his sacrifice worthwhile. I think anyone in those ages would think aliens=divinity hehe glad that came off the way I was hoping!

Thank you so much for reading, and for all the favorites and follows!


	25. Part 3: Chapter 2

_**Changing things up, and putting the review responses...UP ;)**_

_**This chapter is actually one of the first ones I wrote for this Part or Episode of my AU Modern, X-over madness. It has gone through a lot of revisions since the first draft.**_

_**Thanks to Nance and IcarusLSU for being part of such a great team to help bring this story to life, and to Aerist for her graphics.**_

_**CarolynneRuth: Oh thank you! I love when I get the inspiration for the flashback scenes. It was Nance who encouraged me to add a bit more Percival in. The other stuff will come, but it won't be this chapter.**_

_**Flamie: Thanks! Percival actually came about relatively easy, once the idea was planted. No Leon in this chapter, but don't worry, there will be a lot more of him coming in the future...That chapter is already written and let me tell you...I had fun with it!**_

_**AWanderersHaven: No Gwaine in this chapter, but there will be one soon that is fully focused on him alone. **_

_**IcarusLSU: :D I couldn't help but play on that Torchwood Naked Hide-and-Seek line! **_

_**Anyhoo- hope you all enjoy this chapter! I am about 3 chapters ahead in writing this story, so they should be coming out fairly regularly this next week. For my Beasts readers...another chapter of that will be coming shortly as well!**_

* * *

For a moment, if he kept his eyes closed, he could hear the sounds of the castle as it woke.

Just for a fleeting minute, he could hear the sounds of the citadel coming to life through the thick paneled curtains.

Just for a second...he could forget where he was, and what had happened.

The ache in his chest was the first reminder that everything had changed.

Two days, he'd been in this room. His only relief from the bed was with assistance, but each day he woke, he felt a little more strength returning. The progress he had made since the surgery, was set back following his outburst against Mitchell, then the excursion to the toilet facilities. After which, a good dose of the medicines had kept him going during the short travel on board the ship, far above the world.

His eyes opened to barely a slit, and he felt...more than saw...his wife curled up next to him. Rolling carefully onto his side, he draped his arm over her sleeping form and pulled her closer.

Gwen hummed softly against his chest. "It is so hard to believe..."

"I know." He whispered against her dark curls. "I am sure I will miss the people the most. The knights I grew up with, who rode at my side for so long...but not yet."

"Hmmm. No, not yet." She said, echoing his words. "I lost nearly everything, when I lost you, Arthur." She turned her face towards his. Brown eyes, etched with lines from the two years of hardship during her time as the sole monarch of Camelot, blinked at him tearfully.

"We have been given this second chance, Guinevere." He said softly, pressing his forehead to hers. Arthur snickered deep in his chest. "Remember when I said, I would gladly become a farmer, if it meant I could be with you?"

She giggled and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Of course. Although, I still cannot see you pushing a plow."

"Well, maybe not yet. However, once this blasted wound heals..."

Her neck arched back, when she laughed harder. "I doubt even then, my king."

"Alright, perhaps I'll learn to be a blacksmith..." He smirked and kissed her, pulling her tighter to him.

"Whatever you decide to be, in this new life, I will be at your side. We...will be at your side." She corrected, hearing the morning babbles of Aurie emanating from the crib nearby.

Arthur smiled and stretched, "I cannot wait until I can actually pick him up. Dr. Jones said, I should wait at least two more weeks for that. I'm not sure if I have enough patience, to wait that long."

Gwen pushed herself into a sitting position and reached for a robe, hanging by the side of the bed.

"Where the hell is Merlin? Shouldn't he be here with our breakfast by now?" Arthur asked seriously.

"He's not a servant anymore, Arthur. He hasn't been for a long time, I don't believe." She said in a wistful voice.

A rapping on the door preceded it opening. "Ah ha! Breakfast!"

Cassie stuck her head through the door. "Good morning!" She said in her chipper American Accent.

"Good morning, Cassie." Gwen smiled at the young woman and motioned for her to enter.

The young woman held a tray in one hand and Arthur eyed it suspiciously, knowing it was not the food he craved. "Not breakfast?" He said, disappointment dripping from his voice.

"No..." Cassie drawled out, setting the tray on the bedside table. "Close though! Morning meds, as you already know."

A few paper cups held a variety of odd-shaped, and odd colored pills. Arthur sneered at them. Since he was no longer hooked up to the needles and tubes, it was explained that he needed to take the medicine orally. "At least these are easier than the concoctions Gaius used to brew up." He had noted as well, that they appeared to work more efficiently as well, although the side effects made him feel a bit loopy.

Cassie held out one of the smaller cups and a larger glass filled with water.

"So...Merlin will be bringing my breakfast, then?" He questioned, trying not to gag against the odd texture of the medications.

"Be nice to him, Arthur." Gwen admonished, scooping up their son.

"I'm nice...I'm also hungry."

"Always thinking of your stomach." A familiar voice said in a snarky tone, from the door. "Some things will never change." Merlin sauntered into the room, holding a tray of food.

Arthur gave his wife a triumphant look, after he swallowed the last of the pills.

Merlin caught the exchange and snorted. The warlock had managed to catch the last few lines of conversation before entering. He and Arthur might have come to some form of understanding, before they left the SGC, but Merlin's nerves were still tied in knots over the whole situation.

Percival had pushed through the diversity he faced and was well on his way to becoming a modern man, with no qualms about who he served. Gwaine was dealing with his own dichotomy of the situation, and Arthur's words had appeared to have helped him make his choice. Merlin, on the other hand, had watched Arthur die...and after centuries of moving past it, he was trying to mesh who he was now, with a man he barely recalled being.

"Don't think this is going to be a regular occurrence, because it certainly will not be. Tomorrow, you can get your own arse out of that bed and join the rest of us." He seemed unable to keep the sharp tone from his voice.

Arthur scoffed, "Just open the damn curtains, Merlin."

"Open them your own bloody self! There's a remote right next to the bed." He snapped at the blond man.

"A what?"

Merlin bit the inside of his cheek and inhaled slowly through his nose. "On the table, beside the bed, is a little black box with buttons on it." He waited for the king to find it. "Now...with the little red dot at the top...see the triangle pointing to the right? Press it."

Narrowing his eyes at Merlin, Arthur wondered if this was supposed to be some sort of trick. "Alright, Merlin...I'll play your little game."

Merlin tried to cover the rolling of his eyes, by scratching at his brow. The battle within himself, was raging. The similarities in the room brought back memories of his early years of servitude, and he balked against them.

Arthur pushed the triangle. The red dot at the top lit up, and the whirl of a motor began to turn softly. His jaw fell to the floor as every piece of drapery along the wall moved of its own accord and opened. For a moment, his inner voice felt like screaming at the sorcery behind it. A giggle of delight from Aurie, calmed the panic, and Arthur remembered what had been explained to him about all this modern technology.

He looked at the device in his hand and pressed the triangle pointing in the opposite direction. The large pieces of fabric stopped and began closing. The childish cackle of glee from Arthur, was priceless.

Aurie, started to fuss as the sun began to disappear. Arthur looked over at the boy, being comforted by his mother, and pressed the first button again. The sweet bubbling laughter, that erupted upon the sun's magical return, had everyone in the room grinning. Soon the curtains were opening and closing, over and over again.

Merlin took the opportunity to slip out of the room with Cassie. "Well, how's he looking today?"

"I know Dr. Jones will want to check him over more thoroughly, but so far the change in scenery seems to be doing his mind good." Her eyes shifted down the hall and then immediately to the floor. A slight blush painting the apples of her cheeks.

Merlin's brow furrowed for a moment and he glanced behind him. Coming up the staircase at the end of the carpeted hallway, was Percival. It was discovered after their arrival, that Cassandra had been absent due to some training, when Gwaine and Percival were brought into the SGC.

The large man didn't seem to notice her reaction, as he approached. "Merlin. Cassandra." He nodded to both. "How's he doing today?"

"Good. I'm going to go take care of this tray and give Dr. Jones an update." She excused herself and stepped around the knight with a shy smile.

Merlin bit back a knowing smile. "Hey, Percival...thank you, again...for making sure the room was set up. I think, they both really appreciated the sense of familiarity it brought."

Percival grinned, "Mickey, and the rest of Torchwood, helped a lot in moving everything from the storage facility. Ianto and Gwen Cooper helped track down similar pieces that you didn't have." He fidgeted for a moment before asking, "Does he know where he is yet?"

Merlin shook his head and glanced at the door. He still hadn't figured out how he was going to tell Arthur. "I know you and Gwaine took it fairly well...but I don't know how he's going to react."

Coughing, to cover a laugh, Percival patted his friend on the back. "That was your problem before. Not trusting him...or any of us, as much as we trusted you. Funny, how some things never change."

"I'll probably wait until he at least gets settled a bit more." He rolled his eyes at the disapproving stare he gained from the knight. "Oh, don't look at me like that. You're as bad as Martha."

"I agree with her assessment this morning. You need to tell him sooner, rather than later."

"If you're so keen on it, why don't you go tell him?"

Percival shrugged and reached for the door handle. "Okay."

"Wait!" Merlin bit down on his bottom lip and shook his head. "Fine, I'll go tell him."

He punched the smaller man in the shoulder, happily. Merlin wavered slightly, and grumbled about the man's strength. Percival's smile widened.

Neither of them needed to worry about breaking the news to Arthur, however. Arthur was standing by the window, resting against his wife, who had placed their son on the floor.

"Merlin..." Arthur started, not bothering to turn around, instead just assuming it was his former servant walking through the door. A hitch in his voice told Merlin that the king already knew the answer, before he asked the question. "Where are we?"

Centuries of storms and progress had reshaped most of the countryside, but even Merlin had to admit, there was something about this area, that refused to submit to the passage of time. Though the great kingdom that once thrived on these very hills and valleys no longer existed, there was a feeling about the land that still whispered of what once was. "I think you already know."

In a trembling voice that was barely above a whisper, Gwen said, "I almost feel like I can see the castle grounds and the Lower Town beyond...still here. The forests and the meadows...the mountains over yonder...This is Camelot. This room has nearly the same view as our old one."

"I had the house designed this way, purposely. Well, at least this wing of it." Merlin and Percival stepped fully inside, and closed the door behind them.

The large knight stood back and listened, while the warlock made his way towards the king and queen.

"When you died, Arthur...I was told you would return, as you already know. Over the years, I was able to buy the land where Camelot used to be, nearly five thousand acres of park surrounding it. That was a few centuries ago, and there was nothing but ruins on the hill. It took every cent I owned at the time...and a little magical persuasion." He reluctantly admitted, "Then, slowly over the years, I've worked at building this..."

"That long...and you couldn't even manage to get the correct wall color?" Arthur rolled his eyes and scoffed.

Out of the corner of Merlin's eye, he caught the movement of the king's hand, and instinctively knew what was coming. His eyes flashed gold, creating a ripple in time. The world around him paused for a brief second; just long enough for him to step out of the way of the oncoming blow.

Arthur nearly stumbled when his hand, aimed at the back of his friend's head, hit nothing but air.

"I'll have someone bring you some paint chips, and you can paint the damn walls whatever color you like." With that, Merlin let the door swing closed behind him.

A flash of concern crossed Arthur's features, before he felt his temper beginning to rise. He had meant the color comment as a joke. One, which previously would have begun a round of friendly bantering between him and his servant. His nostrils flared, and he glared at the door.

Percival held his position, still and silent, as a dormouse. The whole time change from what he now knew was called the Dark Ages, into the modern Age of Technology, had been a real head spinner for him...but, he had Gwaine with him to help keep him anchored in the beginning. He also didn't hold any preconceptions for assuming things would be the same here.

The idea of decorating the room into a more familiar style for Arthur and Gwen's homecoming, seemed sound when Merlin first suggested it. Now, he was wondering if it had been the best thing. It almost appeared to give Arthur too much of a sense of normalcy.

Aurie began to fuss, sensitive to the tension building in the room. Gwen looked to the large knight. "Percival, would you mind taking him...maybe see if you can find Martha, or Cassie, to take care of him for a bit."

"Of course." Percival smiled, thankful for a way out of the oppressive air that permeated the room. He held out his arms for the little prince, who stared at the giant man with unbridled suspicion...until Percival crossed his eyes, and made a silly face.

The little boy giggled and clapped, obviously deciding the man was an alright sort of fellow. He willingly went into the massive arms.

When they were alone, Arthur spoke. "He vowed to me, that he would happily be my servant until the day he died. Well, he hasn't died, yet."

Gwen spun back to her husband, who had turned the rocking chair towards the window and was glaring out the window. "So...that is what this is about? Arthur...I had to go through my entire pregnancy without you. I gave birth, thinking at the time, that you would never get to meet your son. I had to sit on the throne, and govern the people of Camelot...who were just waiting for the day they could replace me with the true heir, while your chair sat empty beside me.

"I mourned you, Arthur. Every day, I mourned for you...in near silence. Only Merlin, Gaius, and Leon had a clue of what I was going through. I had no one else. It was hard for me to look at Aurlieanus some days, and not get so angry that you weren't there!"

Arthur started to say something, but Gwen held up her hands to silence him. Her voice steadied and she stood up straight, her demeanor changing to that of the queen. "Those two years...after we lost you...they changed me, Arthur. I know they did. However, it was only two years...not even that long, if you want to be precise.

"Merlin has had almost fifteen hundred years! Do you have any idea...of anything he has been through? Do you know, he has lost not one wife, but six, to the passage of time? He lost his father. He lost you. He lost me and Gaius...and his mother...his own children. He has changed. He could have easily hardened his heart against all that loss. He could have locked himself away, until the day you returned, or lost himself completely in his grief...but he didn't."

The king sighed tiredly and glanced away.

Gwen knelt in front of him, her hands on her husband's knees. "I don't know if this situation is more difficult for you, or for him. You and I have awoken into a world, unlike anything we could have ever imagined. We are both grieving for all that we have lost, but I...I had two years of the greatest loss imaginable.

"He's trying, Arthur. He is still Merlin. He is still your friend, and the fact that he has designed all of this..that he has kept what little he could of Camelot safe...attests to that fact. His memories and perception of that time have changed. We are more apt to remember the things we want, not how things really were."

Arthur snorted through a tearful expression. He silently recalled how different his father's ghost had been, from the man he thought he knew...and that was only a difference of four years. He began to really listen to what his wife was saying, "I guess he and I just need to get to know each other again, if I ever really knew him at all. He lied so much to me back then...about his magic and all that."

"Then, don't look for the man you thought he was, or the sorcerer you expect to see. See the man he is: an equal to you...your friend...not your servant, not a magic user... just...Merlin. He made that vow in his innocence. He couldn't have known the truth behind his words."

Arthur pursed his lips in thought. "I always remember it seemed quite odd, when he said it. As if he thought he was going to die that night. I know...I commented about it, and he brushed it off."

"I think you should ask him about it. Find out what he meant, or what might have happened. Take the time to open yourself up, and get to know who he truly is."

His blue eyes sparkled, as he gazed at his loving wife. Leaning forward, he captured her lips with his own. "You are an amazing woman. Well, no time like the present." He couldn't help his ornery streak in wanting to push the limits one more time. He took as deep of a breath as he could and yelled out the familiar name. "MERLIN!"

Gwen bit her lip to keep from laughing at first, when Arthur's face contorted in pain. The thought that he would injure himself, while trying to be a prat, was rather poetic. However, she noticed the pain didn't appear to be subsiding, as the king cradled his chest and curled over his legs in the rocking chair.

Smacking her lips, half in concern and half in amusement, she stood up. "I better go get Martha."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Mickey's coffee nearly coated the table, when he heard the voice echo through the house. "Holy shit! You weren't kidding. That bloke does have some lungs on him!"

Merlin simply took another sip out of his cup, and turned the page on the newspaper that laid in front of him. "Yes...yes, he does."

"Well, aren't you going to go see what he needs? I mean, he is still injured and all that, right?"

The warlock didn't answer. He tried to concentrate on the paper. Soon, however, his eyes lifted to meet those of his wife. He stared back at her, wondering if she had any idea what was going through her husband's mind.

Gwaine was the only one who seemed to share Merlin's fears of what was out there. Perhaps, it was because the Marine Major was in a position that put him on the front lines of the coming storm. They had spoken to Arthur about it, somewhat. However, Merlin wanted to give the displaced king a little more time to heal before laying it all out for him.

The pressure Merlin was putting on himself, was not unlike the time before, when he had kept his magic from the king. He had imagined, that after centuries of life, including almost a full one spent at a Buddhist Monastery in Tibet, would have given him the patience to deal with it.

Merlin could feel it though. What 'it' was...he wasn't sure, but it was coming.

There had always been a hole in his life, which he managed to bury far inside of him. He had hoped it would be filled upon Arthur's return, but so far, it remained. He didn't blame Arthur, but his clipped responses and tip-toeing around the heart of the matter, was becoming evident to everyone around him.

She didn't say a word to him.

"No." He responded curtly.

Martha smiled.

"No...not happening. Do you know, he just expected me to bring him breakfast this morning?...AND he wants me to change the paint color of his room. Ungrateful, that's what he is...I will not jump to his call."

A different call though, met his ears. Gwen was shouting for him through the hallways. He realized that she was probably lost in the large house, which was the close to the size of a small castle. The only room that resembled anything from Camelot, was the one she and Arthur were staying in. The rest of the place could be quite daunting to someone who had only been given a brief tour of the place. Even Merlin still found himself turned around in its corridors, from time to time.

"Damn." He folded his paper and went to look for the lost queen.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Arthur came to, with the sound of muffled voices in the background. They seemed far away, or as if he was trying to hear them through water. He could feel the numbness in his body from the pain medication. He kept his eyes closed and tried to focus on what they were saying.

"Merlin, I think you should try." His wife's voice began to sound clear.

"After what happened during the surgery?"

The voice of Dr. Jones seemed closer than the rest. "Dr. Lam said it was more than likely the radiation that reacted. That is now completely gone from his system."

Arthur could hear the reluctance in Merlin's sigh. "I don't know...What if it wasn't?"

"I wish you would at least try." Gwen said in a motherly tone. "The sooner he gets well, the easier this could be on both of you."

Dr. Jones voice was next. "Yeah, and the sooner I can get my husband back, instead of this back and forth between a brooding old man and a skittish rabbit."

Merlin sputtered, "Rabbit?...Did you just hear that, Gwen? My own wife called me an old man and a rabbit...in the same sentence!" There was a few seconds of silence. "Both of you? Looking at me like that? Really?"

Silently, Arthur snickered. He had suspected there was something more between his former servant and the female physician who befriended his own wife. Understanding how persuasive women could be, with just a simple look, he took pity on his old friend. He forced his eyes open, "Merlin..."

Three sets of eyes turned toward him, and he evaluated each of them.

Arthur wanted to get out of the bed. He wanted to move on with this new life. He wished for nothing more than to put the past behind him, since he had no other choice. Gwen's words filtered through his mind. The friendship he had shared with Merlin was a strong one, that he felt he missed more than anything about his former life. He didn't try to see the man as he had been, although it seemed Merlin was just as stubborn as he ever had been...That hadn't changed.

Arthur tried to look at him, not as the man who used to be there, but as the man who was there. Who he saw, took the king by surprise. The fleeting glimpses he'd had in the past, of the wise and serious man who resided under the bumbling exterior, was who he was viewing now. That was the true Merlin. There was an agelessness behind the eyes, that Arthur hadn't allowed himself to see before...but yet, somehow he knew now, it had always been there...from the very first days...

'There's something about you, Merlin...'

He knew it after Camlann, but the emotions were too high at the time. The pain was too great, to fully process anything beyond the reflection on the surface and his own life.

_'There's something about your eyes...'_

The eyes were the window to the soul, or so he had heard. For the first time, he truly believed it. The soul he saw was the same, but more open and filled with the inexplicable truth. This was Merlin. This was the man who challenged him, who believed in him, who waited fifteen hundred years for him...and somehow managed to stay relatively sane.

It was too easy to fall back into old habits, when the exterior seemed overall unchanged...but as Arthur really began to look, and open his mind, he did see the changes.

Merlin had the same black hair, but it was different. It was a bit shaggier and longer, and obviously styled with more care than a quick combing could manage. The clothing was certainly modern...denim jeans that seemed to be a popular trend, and a shirt with tiny buttons down the front; the collar of which, was a bit stiff around the neck and ended in points at the man's collar bone. There was no sign of the scarf or the old ratty, roughspun tunic. Underneath the clothing, Arthur could tell the physical difference, simply in the way Merlin carried himself.

No longer did Merlin slouch. His posture and bearing wasn't that of an underfed, ill-bred peasant, but of a strong man, who could easily carry his own weight.

_'I could take you apart with one blow...'_

_'I could take you apart with less...'_

He had no doubt about that, once he found out about Merlin's magic. However, he wasn't surprised to think that now, even without the magic, Merlin might actually be a worthy opponent, or ally, in a fight. The warrior within Arthur, found himself beginning to re-evaluate the entire situation.

Merlin had been the first, and last, to call Arthur his friend in their relationship. He met Merlin's gaze, and locked him in a stare. "I trust you."


	26. Part 3: Chapter 3

_AN: I'd always wanted Arthur's revelation to come in almost three separate epiphanies as prince(the initial emotional side), knight(seeing Merlin as physically strong), and now in this chapter...more as a king would see things. So...more Merlin and Arthur feels in this one, plus an interesting magical twist :) Next chapter back State-side...but maybe not with the character you think ;) hehe_

_LinBates: here's some Mooooorre! LOL thanks for the review_

_Guest: glad you like it, thanks!_

_TiP: Thanks! I always figured Gwen would be the best one to set him straight. :)_

_Nance: hehe yes he is a grumpy old man, even when he tried not to be._

_IcarusLSU: Thanks! I always thought Merlin would resemble Methos from Highlander, moreso than the way a lot of other stories portray him. So, my idea seems to be working._

_CarolynneRuth: Thanks! Hope you like this part of Arthur's wake up call too._

_Leah0812: Thank you very much!_

_AWanderersHaven: Itty bitty bit of Gwaine at the end of this chapter. Next couple chapters will have a lot more of him._

_FeedtheFlamies: Ah flamie...hope you got that speech done. I held off on this chapter as long as possible, just so I wouldn't distract you. ;) You've been workin so hard, consider this now your reward...lots more Arthur and Merlin feels :D_

_Credit goes to Nance for proofing and IcarusLSU for flow reading._

_On with the story:_

* * *

**_"Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened, but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm." - Robert Louis Stevenson_**

* * *

He sat in a chair near the bed. His blue eyes closed as he searched his mind for the information he wanted.

"Guinevere suggested I get to know you."

"Mmm."

"Well, how can I do that, if you won't talk to me? Come on, Merlin. You never used to shut up."

"Well, I guess I finally learned how. Hey, there's something you didn't know about me." A lopsided grin covered his face.

Snorting softly, Arthur considered throwing a pillow at the other man. "The way you've been just...sitting there...it's making me nervous."

"I make you nervous?" The sapphire eyes opened and glanced at Arthur, silently laughing at the king. "I thought you didn't get nervous."

"Merlin..."

"Shut up?"

The two men looked at each other and started to chuckle. Arthur's ended in a groan of pain.

"You'll be able to laugh again soon, my friend. I promise."

"I hope so. Can I ask you a question, Merlin?"

The warlock shrugged and motioned, palm up, for the king to continue.

"Years ago, after I was bitten by that beast..."

"Which one?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, but didn't take the bait. "You said, you would be happy to be my servant until the day you died. I never forgot that."

Merlin's smile faded as the memory returned to him. "I thought I was going to die. I had made a bargain to save your life from the fatal poison of that bite. I got you water, from the Cup of Life, which required a sacrifice of a life to maintain the balance. Instead of taking my life though, it tried to take my mother's.

"I blamed Nimueh for a long time for that, but now I realize the Old Religion couldn't take me in exchange...so it went for the closest living blood relative..."

Arthur was shaken to his core, hearing the details of what was possibly just one of many times he guessed Merlin had done such a thing for him. "We didn't find the Cup of Life until years later..."

Merlin sniggered, "Correction: YOU didn't find the Cup until years later."

"Well, if you knew where it was, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know it still existed. I thought I destroyed it, when I destroyed Nimueh."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. His lips curled up in a disbelieving sneer. "You destroyed Nimueh? Girlish little you? I could see that now, but back then?"

Ignoring the insult, Merlin asked, "Can I finish my story?"

Arthur's mouth grudgingly closed and he nodded.

"You're worse than my granddaughter was..." The warlock muttered.

"...Your granddaughter?"

Merlin's eyebrows disappeared under dark bangs. He waited for Arthur to realize he wasn't going to answer that question...yet. When he was satisfied that the king would remain quiet, Merlin continued, "Where was I?...Ah, yes. The Old Religion is based on keeping nature in balance. As my closest relative, it chose my mother, instead of me. I thought Nimueh had tricked me...but it wasn't her choice. Just like with your mother, she was the vessel who cast the spell, but was blind to the path it would ultimately take..."

"What do you mean, 'with my mother?'"

Chiding himself, Merlin pursed his lips and sighed through his nose. He decided to go for the shortened version of his story. "Anyway, I went to try and save my mother, but Gaius beat me getting to Nimueh and offered himself in exchange. I arrived just as he lay dying. Nimueh conjured a sphere of fire and threw it at me. She thought I was dead...For a moment, I thought I was too. I got back up and...felt something come over me. It was the first time I felt it..." His blue eyes seemed to cloud over, thinking about that day.

After a few moments of silence, Arthur began to worry. When Merlin finally spoke again, his voice was low and deep, as if completely caught up in the memory.

"Up until then, most of my magic had been more wind...and time based. I learned to play with the wind when I was about Aurie's age...using it to make leaves dance. If I wanted something that was out of reach, it would come to me. When I was probably four...Mother had stepped outside to get wood and left a pot of porridge on the fire. I was so hungry I tried to get some and it spilled. My instincts saved me, and I..." He tried searching his mind for the right description. "I guess, it was like a pocket of time was slowed around the hot porridge, and I managed to step out of the way."

Merlin blinked, as if waking from a dream. "Anyway, I managed to get up and kill her."

The blond man's eyes narrowed, "You left something out. What were you saying before...what did you feel?"

Frowning, Merlin scratched his head in thought. "I really can't describe what it was...or is. It's a connection to everything...to very ebb and flow of the Earth and stars. I can do something Nimueh never could. I can see the paths available to keeping balance. I don't think I even realized that, until this very moment."

"How many centuries have you been alive...and you just figured something like that out now?"

"Well, I was a little too busy for contemplation back then; with saving your sorry ass every week...on top of all the chores you used to give me."

"...And since then? What have you been doing with your life?"

Merlin shrugged, "Keeping myself occupied."

Arthur rolled his eyes and groaned at yet another thing that hadn't changed: Merlin's ability to sidestep around conversations. "You mentioned a granddaughter. So I assume you had children at some point?"

A proud smile beamed out from Merlin's face. "Yeah, two of them. Blasine and Gawain. Blasine's youngest daughter looked just like her grandmother Mithian."

"Ah, that was fortunate, I'm sure. To have your daughter marry a son of Princess Mithian." Arthur nodded, impressed that the Nemethian royal would allow her child to join that of a servant's. "It showed an open mind on her part, although I'm not sure what King Rodor would have thought about that. However, Mithian's brother was the heir to the kingdom, so I can see that marriage for political reasons wouldn't have been as important, especially with a youngest child.

"So says the king who married a maid. However, I need to correct you on your assumptions."

"Oh, I'm sure there are other details, Merlin. There always are, but they are probably relatively minor in the grand scheme of things."

"Actually, one of the 'other details' isn't that minor."

"No?"

"No." Merlin leaned towards Arthur in a conspiratorial fashion. "Blasine married Sir Galahad, a Knight of Essex, with no relations to Nemeth."

He could see the confusion in the king's face, as Arthur attempted to work out what his friend was trying to tell him. "If Princess Mithian was the grandmother of your granddaughter, but it wasn't her son who your daughter married...then...how...?" Blue eyes widened when the answer finally dawned on him. "Noooo!"

Merlin sat back with a smug look. "Yes. You aren't the only noble to have married a servant. Difference being: I was bestowed a title, before she and I even began courting."

Arthur visibly paled momentarily, before he felt the laughter bubbling up through him.

Pinching his lips, Merlin watched as the king alternated between groans of pain and his failed attempts at ceasing his laughter.

Martha walked into the room, followed by Gwen and Cassie. She shook her head. "You're going to hurt yourself worse if you keep that up."

"Merlin, I thought you were going to be working on a spell to heal him?" Gwen asked, distressed by seeing her husband still in pain, even if it was brought on by his own inability to quit laughing.

"I was...but some spoiled little prat wanted a bedtime story instead."

"...And you told him a funny one, to aggravate his wounds?" The warlock's wife accused. She moved over to the bed to check her patient.

"He did that all on his own."

"Guinevere, can you believe this idiot thinks he can get me to believe that he was granted a title AND married Princess Mithian?" Arthur still chuckled lightly, while Martha took his pulse and began her updated assessment of the incision sites.

Merlin's amused look turned dark and he shifted in his seat.

Arthur felt the change in the atmosphere and glanced at his friend in disbelief. "You were serious?"

"Yes, Arthur. I was." The lighthearted tone from the conversation was gone. Merlin continued, his voice now authoritative and strong. "After Camelot fell, Leon and I made our way to Nemeth with the remaining knights, and other refugees. King Rodor installed Leon as a commander in the Nemethian Army. He also granted me a minor title as reward for saving him and Mithian years before, and for helping to bring peace between him and Odin. I then started working with their Royal Advisor on Magic. Soon after, he retired, leaving the position on the council to me."

The king visibly gulped. He once again, witnessed the change in Merlin from friend, to the commanding man now speaking to him.

Arthur began to wonder what he would have done, had he returned to Camelot, knowing about Merlin's magic. Would he have seen this same powerful man? Would he have granted Merlin an advisory position...or, would he have tried to keep things as they had been, and missed a great opportunity to have such a strong voice at his Round Table? He made a mental note to himself again, not to underestimate his former servant in the future. The trifecta of revelations gave the king a more thorough view of Merlin. First was the much more stoic exterior he was met with in the first hours after being awoken. Then the ability to see the sinewy warrior instead of the scrawny peasant...Now the package appeared complete with Merlin's no-nonsense report of what happened after Camelot fell.

"It doesn't look like any permanent damage has been done by your outburst, Arthur. You should be grateful." Martha said, when she had finished listening to his heart and lungs.

"I am..." Arthur said, looking at Merlin and hoping his thoughts were silently conveyed. It was not only for Martha's prognosis, but also for the wake-up call he'd just received. It seemed whenever he spent time speaking with Merlin, he learned something new about the man. Finding out that it was not only his most trusted knight, but also Merlin who took the refugees to Nemeth, wasn't nearly as surprising as he thought it would be.

Merlin seemed to understand. He nodded and the tension eased.

"Merlin, are you going to be able to do the spell today?" Martha asked.

He noticed that her voice sounded slightly flustered, and wondered if something had happened that he wasn't aware of. "I should be. Why?"

"I just received a call from my superior. I'm being recalled to help prepare for a possible viral outbreak. It's only in the States, thus far, but it could reach pandemic status quickly if we're not careful. I would like to be sure the spell works before I leave."

Merlin nodded, "I'll get right on it, then." He turned to the king. "Are you sure you want me to do this? It's probably going to hurt, even with the painkillers."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Without the pressure of the operating theater in the foreign military base, surround by doctors and technicians all waiting to see what would happen, Merlin felt more relaxed. He didn't need to rush to save Arthur's life this time.

Martha and Cassie were nearby, ready to intervene if needed, but the warlock felt more confidence that his efforts would work this time around.

He calmed his breathing and centered his thoughts on the task at hand. In his mind's eye, he could visualize Arthur laid out on the bed before him. Arthur's life was strong and steady, emitting a golden glow. Merlin could feel the way the world balanced, and he saw Arthur's path through the web of fate.

The specifics were difficult to pick out without intense concentration, or with a catalyst like the Crystal of Neahtid, to focus his efforts...but he didn't need to waste the energy on that right now. He still took a moment to admire the beauty of the web. Arthur's own string began where his mother's ended and grew bright for a time, before it became virtually invisible. Merlin almost chuckled when he realized, if he had known he could do this long ago, his life while waiting for the return of Arthur, may have turned out quite differently.

Arthur's current place in the line flickered; dimming and brightening in relation to his health. As far as Merlin could see, it would continue that way if he did the spell correctly. Merlin could also see, though, that there was a possible divergence in the line...the choice of life or death...hinging on this moment. He saw his own line: a brilliant purple at the current point in time; joined by Martha and all the others surrounding him. It was all very similar to how Martha had explained it to Percival months before.

At the edges of his internal vision, he noticed another line. A faint white, almost like a wisp of a cloud, was barely discernible among the rest of the intricate pattern. His brow furrowed. He couldn't tell who it belonged to, or where it really was...only that it seemed to tie in with his own strand.

"Are you going to do this sometime today, Merlin?"

Gasping, Merlin came out of his meditative trance, feeling a little dizzy. He hadn't meant to go that far into the hypnotic state. "Uh..." Martha reached out and touched his arm. He felt more grounded in that instant. "That was...odd."

"What happened?" She asked with loving concern.

He shook his head. "I'll tell you later. I'm fine now."

"Good, can we get on with this?"

"You have somewhere you need to be, Arthur?"

"No, but I thought your wife did." The king smiled smugly.

Merlin couldn't offer a retort, but he smirked, "Fine. Let's do this."

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Don't let anyone in...or out...of your place. Got it?" Gwaine whispered, into the phone.

"I take it, this thing we're hearing about, is coming from your end?" Merlin asked, referring to what the world news was calling a global pandemic in the making. According to the reports, it was some new flu strain outbreak...supposedly, originating along the Mexican-American border. Although, knowing what he did about his friend's work and his own historical encounters with the way diseases spread, he guessed this wasn't something that had begun naturally. He still had his suspicions about the Bubonic Plague, but nowadays...time-travelling royalty aside...it was rare.

Martha had received a call earlier that day from UNIT to prepare for the potential situation. As a medical doctor for UNIT, she was on the first responder list.

Mickey and Percival took similar calls from Jack Harkness. Even Torchwood was being called in to try to find some alien link and/or cure to this newest outbreak. The news from all sides, didn't seem too bright. Merlin had an aptitude for the naturopathic side of medicine, and had even owned apothecaries from time to time, but modern medical science was beyond him. He still felt a shiver race down his spine every time he heard of a new disease spreading.

Merlin refused to answer his phone, when the UNIT Base inside Mount Snowdon called. There was nothing he could do to stem the flow, and he wanted to remain close to the house with Arthur, Gwen, and Aurie. Something potentially big was happening, and now with Gwaine's hushed words, he had a better idea of what it was.

"Too late for that, I'm afraid. Any info I can pass along to Martha, if she calls?"

He heard Gwaine sigh. "It's out of this world...if you catch my meaning. Look, Merlin, I need to go. My sister just texted me with a 911."

"Alright. Good luck." He heard the phone line go dead on the other end.

"Is everything okay?" Arthur asked, coming out onto the balcony above the great room.

The spell had taken nearly thirty minutes, once Merlin had started. The warlock was able to, not only heal all the damage, but to also dissolve every bit of metal inside Arthur's body. The pain had been intense, especially when Merlin had reached the sternum, which was still held together by metal wires after the surgery.

Merlin was sweating from the exertion of carefully putting his king back together with his magic. Once it was finished, an intense wave of vertigo had come over him, and he collapsed onto the floor for a few moments.

Arthur could tell his friend was still feeling fatigued, even an hour later. Although, he himself, was feeling better than he had in years. He vowed silently, to use that new-found energy to be more alert to those around him...especially the raven-haired man at his side.

"Yes." Merlin answered, a strained smile on his face. "Why wouldn't it be?"

The king clasped his friend's shoulder and gave it squeeze. "Because, I'm not as dense as I used to be. I can see it in your eyes. There's something wrong."

The dark haired man inhaled deeply. "I fear this is just the beginning of what's to come, and I think that the answer lies somewhere in the files from Dr. Jackson."

"You'll figure it out, Merlin. You always do, and I will help you, however I can."

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_Thanks for reading! Please review!_


	27. Part 3: Chapter 4

_**As always: Shout out to Nance for being the perfectly proficient proofreading puffin!**_

_**Thank you for all the reviews! LinBates, CarolynneRuth, Flamie, TiP, Nance, and AWanderersHaven.**_

_**Yes, this story is attempting to become more than what I intended (it's a bad habit of mine hehe). There will be more about the faint white wisp time line in the future...but for now I'm just going to let it hang out in the nether, and give a maniacal laugh about how far off you all are! **_

_**For those who have seen Stargate and are speculating about the virus...I can feel your face preparing to meet your palm in this chapter. :)**_

_**Thank you for all the follows and favs! And all the silent readers...**_

_**Please leave a review if you would be so kind! I'll offer the 200th reviewer(at 173 currently) a special prize hehe**_

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The phone rang and went to voicemail. He hung up, without leaving a message. Gwaine hit redial again. His heart was pounding when his sister finally answered. "Laney! What's wrong?"

"Gwaine...do you know what the hell is going on?"

"Why...what happened?"

"Boyd was getting gas yesterday, in town. He started getting sick when I got home. I called his doctor this morning, who told me to call 911. They rushed Boyd off in an ambulance, because they think he was exposed to the new flu they're talking about on the news!"

"Frack..." Gwaine felt his heart drop.

One of the Stargate teams had returned through the Gate, after a month undercover on a planet that had been visited by an Ori Prior. At first, everything seemed normal...but once they had been released from their duties and left the Base...that was when things began to change. Quicker than anyone would have expected, cases of a disease with flu-like symptoms, but much quicker and deadlier, began trickling in. It was being called P2V...PRIOR2 Virus.*

The first known outbreak was on a planet that SG-1 had visited. Yet, the strain that had come to Earth seemed to be more potent, and the method of delivery became a daunting task to try to determine. There appeared to be no definable explanation as to why some people were stricken, and others were mere carriers.

"I don't know what hospital he was taken to...or anything. Gwaine, the boys are freaking out..."

"How bad was Pops when he was taken?"

"Pretty bad. It hit him hard."

He choked out the next words. He was aware of the prognosis for those infected, and with his grandfather's immune system being lower due his heart condition...Gwaine knew what the outcome would most likely be. "Did...did you and the boys get to say..."

Laney's voice was barely a whisper. "Yeah...I made sure they did, just in case."

The two of them knew firsthand, what it felt like to lose someone you cared for...and worse...what it felt like not to have been able to say the simple things. "I'm going to try and find where they took him. If I find out anything more..."

"We'll..." She cleared her throat. "...we'll get through this. At least you're closer to home now."

Gwaine put in a call to every hospital he could, attempting to find out where his grandfather had been taken. He finally broke down and made his way into the infirmary area. He was surprised to find Lam in her office, reviewing data sheets. Gwaine rapped his knuckles on the door frame, and she looked up with a smile.

"Major Dallon."

"Hey Doc, I know you're busy..."

"I have a few minutes. I need to take a break from reading these projections anyway. I think my eyes are going crossed."

He forced a smile.

"Is everything okay? Are you beginning to feel symptomatic?" She started to rise, but he waved her back to her seat.

Taking a breath, he entered her office and flopped down into the chair across from her. He shook his head. "My grandfather was one of the people exposed at the gas station. I just talked to my sister...and she doesn't know where they've taken him. I tried calling around..."

Lam held up her hand to stop him. "Some of those who were initially infected, have been brought to the temporary infirmary we've set up in one of the upper levels. I can check to see if he is on that list...if you want me to."

Gwaine exhaled a breath of hope. He nodded enthusiastically. "That'd be great."

She turned to her computer and began flipping through screens. "'...Boyd Dallon. Age: eighty-seven...'"

"That's him."

She smiled and continued reading. "One of the first cases identified after the contagion began spreading. It appears he was brought in with advanced symptoms, due to his age and health. So...he's up there. Come on, I'll walk with you. I need to speak with the medical team on that level anyway."

"Thanks." He stood and held the door open for her. "I'll have to buy you a drink after all this, to repay you."

"You don't owe me anything...but...if you still want to buy me a drink, I won't turn you down."

He shot Dr. Lam a surprised smile. As far as his sister was concerned, the petite brunette doctor of obvious Filipino descent, didn't fit what she had classified as his type. After his past experiences, he wondered if perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

**(*~*~*~*)**

A soft humming sound began to filter through his ears. Leon's eyes opened slowly. His breath deepened and he felt his muscles beginning to come back to life. Rubbing the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes, he yawned and dropped his legs to the floor, from where they had been propped on the console of his ship. He glanced at the controls and noticed he was approaching the Solar System.

He set his ship on an outer orbit, far enough away that he wouldn't be detected by any of Earth's defenses. Although he had to admit, he was fairly ignorant as to what measures the Tau'ri currently employed. He felt confident that he was close enough, however, to detect the locator beacon he had placed inside the coin.

All Leon needed to do now, was to sit back and hope his instincts paid off.

He couldn't begin to fathom how someone he knew...from so long ago...was here, nearly fifteen hundred years from the time they all should have died. Although, Gwaine and Percival's disappearances were thought to have been the work of Morgana. He mused about his own unique experience, and laughed.

In his life, it was just another mystery. He wasn't terribly worried about it. It may have just been wishful thinking. "It probably wasn't even him. Just because someone said the name. Hell, 'Gwaine' could be a popular name on Earth." He commented out loud to himself, the sword and his ship; even knowing there would be no verbal response from the latter two. His inner voice argued, however, that it wasn't a coincidence.

"Lancelot, I know you're out there somewhere...damn Ascended asshole that you are...Wish you could tell me what the hell is going on."

Over the years, he occasionally visited with his old friend. It was usually at the low points, when his faith waned. Sometimes he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, and something just seemed to go right, in a situation where, by all accounts, he should have been screwed.

Leon no longer believed in magic. He knew better. In all his travels, he'd seen many things that appeared miraculous and magical, but most were due to a higher developed intelligence and advanced technology.

He had set out on a quest to retrieve a sword and been caught up in a game of intergalactic cloak and dagger, in which most of the players were hidden away in another dimension. Heimdall was a kind soul, and reminded Leon somewhat of Gaius...even though the strange little alien didn't have any eyebrows to raise.

She...although he was informed that gender was irrelevant among the Asgard...helped ease his initial trepidation. He stayed with her and assisted in her research...mostly by asking stupid questions...which she seemed to appreciate, as her mind was far more advanced, and sometimes missed the obvious. She, in turn, taught him about space travel and even about the Cup of Life.

Day and night, he cursed the longevity that the Cup of Life had given him. It was an alien artifact, that was more than ten-thousand years old. Among its 'gifts', it could create an immortal army when it held the blood of the soldiers...something he knew from first hand experience. Also, it had the ability to heal even fatal wounds, when water, purified by the cup's seemingly mystical properties, was swallowed. Although, he found out the hard way, that it was not meant to be drunk from directly. That was where the druids screwed up.

The properties imbued in the cup weren't made for humans, thus the side effect of his apparent immortality. He always wondered why he survived every battle after that, but he never really sat back to examine his luck. Leon had assumed, once Merlin's magic had come to light, that the warlock was the lucky rabbit's foot, so to speak. He had been too busy with helping to contain the outbreak of disease, and commanding the army of Camelot, to realize that he had never become sick himself, though he had to stand by as his own family fell victim.

It wasn't until the battle on Frankish soil, alongside Nemethian troops, when he knew for sure...he should have died.

According to Heimdall, there was no known way to reverse its effects.

"Hello to you too, Sir Leon." A smooth voice said from behind him.

Leon laughed and turned around to eye the spirit of the knight he used to serve with. "Speak of the devil. How the hell are you?"

Lancelot smiled, "I am well. Yourself?"

Flicking his tongue against his teeth, Leon kicked his legs back up on the console and shrugged. Whenever Lancelot visited, it was always a guessing game as to whether he would get any real information out of the Ascended man. "So, I ran across a human named Gwaine the other day. Don't suppose you know anything about that? Didn't look anything like I remember, but...there was something about him. One of his companions actually called him 'Sir' Gwaine." He sighed and picked at his teeth, staring out the window of the cockpit.

Chuckling, Lancelot shook his head. "You've changed over the years." He stated as a simple matter-of-fact. "Is there any reason to think he would be the same as well?"

Leon shook his head and snickered, "Are you telling me, he is immortal as well?"

"No." The other said plainly.

"What are you telling me, then?" He sighed and cursed under his breath. "You are not telling me anything...because you can't!...As usual." Leon didn't even bother to hide the disdain in his voice. "Fifteen hundred years of this crap. I've traveled and seen things a man of my day would never have even dreamed of. I've put up with so much shite. Will it ever end, Lancelot? Will there ever come a day when I am not hunted through galaxies...for a sword...that belonged to a man...I don't even know would be worth following now?!"

"I'll see you soon, my friend."

"Wait..."

Lancelot paused.

"Stick around for a bit. I know you don't want to hear me grumble, but I could use the company."

"You'll have company enough, shortly. You just need to be patient." With that, Lancelot faded away.

Leon picked up a glove from next to his chair, and chucked it angrily at the ghostly form. "Asshole."

A light began to blink on the console. Leon's feet hit the floor, and he looked at it warily. It was the indicator that the coin he had the boy deliver, had been activated. He sat silently, looking at it in shock. He had made certain it was voice-activated with a phrase. Something that, in this day and age, only those who had really served under Arthur knew.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Elaine cursed again. She was irritated beyond reason. Doing laundry was so much more pleasant with Merlin. The old man was right...her brother's ability in the common household chore was non-existent. It had been close to three weeks since Merlin and the others had left for the UK, and things in the house had pretty much gotten back to normal...at least until this morning.

Gwaine had come home the night before, and thrown in some clothes while she was working late. He had been recalled to the Base before she arrived home. Boyd had become sick through the night, and was rushed off in an ambulance early that morning.

After seeing their great-grandfather off, Toby and Greg had opted to go to school for a sense of normality amidst their worry for the old man. Randy, her youngest, was home, sick to his stomach from the anxiety. The last thing Elaine wanted to do was to fix the washing machine, when she had a load of bedding that reeked of vomit.

She pulled off the front panel of the machine, and began draining the rancid water out of the barrel. Once that was accomplished, she pulled out the filter and cursed whoever came up with the idea of front load washers. With five guys in the house, the filter clogged more often than she cared to think about.

She cringed and stuck out her tongue at the nasty mess of hair, lint and fuzz she dug out of the trap. Her fingernail caught on part of the filter, bending back low on the nail bed. She cursed loudly and almost the tip of her finger in her mouth, before a sense of how nasty that would be, caught up to her. She cradled it in her palm and bit her tongue, to keep from admitting to the pain.

Angrily, she shook the contents of the filter into the bucket of mucky, gray water. A coin that looked like something out of one of Greg's pirate chest toys, fell in with a splash. "Aw...dammit to hell!"

With another curse, she fished around in the pail and finally found it. It felt heavy for a toy coin though, and she realized the only load that had been in the wash, was that of her brother's uniforms. "Oh for fra..." The profanity was abruptly cut off, when she heard a noise and looked up to see Randy standing in the doorway of the laundry room. She tried to keep her cursing to a minimum around the boys. They heard enough of that from their father. Words like 'farfegnugen' and 'son of a biscuit eater', were not uncommon in her house. The coin slipped from her hand and almost fell back into the bucket.

Randy moved on from the doorway, back towards his bedroom. Even sick, he knew better than to push his mother when she had a certain look on her face. "For the love of Go..." She began to utter, as she picked the coin back up. Something embossed on its surface gave her pause, and she tried to read it. "...Camelot? What the hell, Gwaine?"

A beam of light engulfed her. She screamed in fright at the sensation of her body molecularizing, and the world she knew faded around her.

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Holy shit. Holy fracking shit. Oh, my God. Oh, fracking hell. Oh, my God..." The string of nervous profanity continued, after she saw she was no longer in her laundry room.

"Who are you?" A smooth masculine voice asked.

Laney spun on the man. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Me?! Who the frack are you?!"

He grinned in amusement at her obvious discomfort. Leaning back casually in his chair, he looked her over. Dark hair, with golden highlights, escaped from a ponytail and framed her face. While she was dressed simply in loose fitting clothing and was obviously unprepared to meet anyone, he couldn't help but muse that if she tried, she would clean up quite beautifully.

The grin turned into a teasing smile. A window to the stars framed him from behind and he brushed the dirty blond curls out of his face. His blue-gray eyes sparkled with mirth. "I asked you first."

"Well, frack you! Put me back...or I swear I'm going...!" Her tirade slowed when she noticed the view out the window. Her hand went to her mouth and covered a gasp."Oh...my...fracking God...is that the moon?" Dark brown eyes narrowed at the man. "If this is my brother's idea of a joke..."

"Depends..." He said, in a bored voice. "Who is your brother?"

"Oh, ho ho! Clever, Space Boy! If you think you are gonna use me against him in some way, you are in for a major reality check, buddy!" Her breathing came raggedly through flared nostrils. Her eyes began searching the area inside the ship. Spinning on her heel, she stomped around the cockpit, trying to find a door.

"Space Boy?" He mouthed silently. The man sighed, and the smirk left his face. Though the sight was rather entertaining, he wasn't a man who took pleasure in the pain of others. "I'm looking for someone named Gwaine."

"You and me both! If I find him first, though, there isn't going to be enough left of him for you. I'm just saying." Her fear and discomfort began morphing into anger.

He snorted against the back of his hand. "Obviously, he hasn't changed much over the years, then." He commented to himself.

She rounded on him with a steely glare. "Are you telling me he didn't set you up to this?"

Shaking his head, he held out his hand. "I'm Leon."

Pausing, she took a breath and rolled her eyes. "Un-fracking-believable. They said you died like two-thousand or something years ago!"

Leon laughed, "Now that is interesting, seeing as I was born just over fifteen-hundred Earth years ago."

"What-the-frack-ever! Merlin said you were already gone, when they were talking."

He was on his feet immediately and crossed the cabin towards her. The amusement was gone from his eyes. His voice felt pained as he asked, "Merlin...he's alive?"

Elaine nervously licked her lips at the sudden mood change. "Yeah...um...I hate to do this, but I did leave a sick six-year-old back down there, and I've been waiting for word about my grandfather, who was taken to the hospital."

"I'm sorry. Of course." He turned back to the console and fiddled with a series of controls to put the ship into sleep mode. Leon's mind was running in circles. Leon's mind was running in circles...first Gwaine, now Merlin. He calmed his breathing before he turned back to the woman. "I didn't catch your name."

"Everyone...well, everyone but my grandfather...calls me Laney."

He smiled cordially. "Pleasure to meet you, Laney. Sorry about the...uh..."

Barking out an anxious laugh, she replied, "Seems to be quite a normal thing, lately."

He powered down everything but the transporter, and the cloaking device. His ship, a modified...and stolen...Tel'tak cargo ship from the Goa'uld, was quite common in the Milky Way Galaxy, and thus was less likely to be noticed in passing. On the outside it looked rather like a legless turtle, with a pyramid shaped shell. The nose, which housed the cockpit, stuck out of the front. He'd taken out the standard transporter Rings that were built into each Tel'tak, and had replaced them with an Asgard transporter.

Although the Rings had the added benefit of being able to go through some shields, provided there was a similar set of Rings on the receiving end, the Asgard version took up much less space. At nearly seven foot in diameter, and even stored, the five Rings needed to be stacked at almost two feet in depth.

Thus far, he hadn't regretted his choice. It allowed him to make other modifications and add a few more hidden compartments. He debated on using one of them, adapted with the best security he could manage, to hide Excalibur now.

He looked at the sword, like an old friend. It had been the one constant in his centuries of life. He didn't know if the burden he felt from carrying it...protecting it...for so long would ease when the time came to give it to his king...or if it would create an unbearable hole inside him. Grasping the scabbard, he slung it over his back in a practiced motion. Leon rarely went anywhere without it, and there was no reason he should start now.

"Nice sword." Laney commented sarcastically.

He ignored her tone and stood next to her. On his wrist, was the oddest-looking watch she had ever seen. He swiped his thumb across the square face, then pressed a series of small buttons on the side. Leon snickered at the look on the Laney's face as the transporter beam engulfed her, once again.

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_*Stargate Episodes 9x10 and 9x11 "The Fourth Horseman" is when the PRIOR2 Virus was brought through to Earth._


	28. Part 3: Chapter 5

_**Thank you so much for the reviews! Welcome to any new followers! I have been rather busy lately between a sick kid, work, and now dealing with a head cold myself. So...forgive me for not responding to you all this chapter. Thanks to Nance for rehalyzing (yes, I misspelled that on purpose) how bad I am grammatically and IcarusLSU for helping me smooth out some of the details. This chapter corresponds to Stargate season 9 episodes The Fourth Horseman parts 1 and 2.**_

_**Warning: Tissues might be needed for this chapter.**_

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Merlin slid the phone into his pocket a scant moment before a wave of dizziness descended upon him. He felt Arthur's arms, now strong and vigorous, steadying him.

"Are you alright?" He heard the king's voice, filled with concern.

The warlock held out his hands, and seemed to regain his balance. "I think so...probably just exhaustion from..."

"The spell?" Arthur asked, though he had no idea how magic worked. It made sense to him that it would be like any other mental or physical exercise. "Where's your room? You should probably rest."

The fact that Merlin didn't argue, wasn't lost on Arthur. Merlin's eyelids drooped, and he leaned on his friend, while giving Arthur directions through the house. The hallways were overly decorated and the king snorted as he looked on them in passing.

"What?"

"Your decorating style...is rather interesting."

"Yeah...I rather dislike it, but this is what happens when I give someone a lot of money and have them attend to it, while I travel the world. It's what an eighteenth century classic manor house is supposed to look like...or some such shite." He rolled his eyes. "I've just never spent enough time here to actually do anything about it. When I have been here, it's usually just in my chambers, the office, the gym...or outside somewhere."

They reached a large set of panelled, double doors at the end of the hallway. Merlin pushed them open and the suite of rooms beyond, caught Arthur by surprise. They were bright, clean, updated...and certainly more modern than the rest of the house he had seen. The walls were clean of any of the obnoxious wall decoration and were painted in a light pale blue; the coffered ceiling high above, was white. The thick carpeting from the hall floor ended, and gave way to light wood flooring, the likes of which Arthur had never seen before, flowed through the space; accented only by an area rug that peeked out from under the edges of the bed, providing a warm place for feet to land. The whole ambiance of the room was tranquil.

The bed was low to the ground, set on a dark wood base and the mattress, in Arthur's opinion, appeared rather hard and thin. The head was located against a wall to the left where, when laying on the bed, one could see both the bedchamber door and the east facing bevelled glass of the French doors, which lead out onto a balcony. One armoire, a small table beside the bed, and a simple wooden chair near the glass doors completed the furnishings.

A small wave of Merlin's hand, and the doors opened, allowing for a gentle breeze to flow into the room.

"Another type of remote thing?"

"Nope...that was magic." Merlin responded, disengaging himself from Arthur and making his own way over to the bed.

Arthur nodded. As strange as the style was, it fitted Merlin. "I guess your life is so complex...Always has been, I suppose...You need a calm place like this to rest."

Merlin smiled, peeling off his shoes, and stretching out on the bed. "Are you giving me permission to take the afternoon off, Sire?" The snark in his voice was tempered with the warmth of the friendship they used to share.

Arthur looked out towards the balcony, with a teasing grin. "Just today. Tomorrow I expect you..." He glanced at Merlin out of the corner of his eye. "...to be yourself and start helping me figure this place out."

"That, I can do." Merlin said with a sigh. "Oh, if you can manage to find your way to the kitchens, you know what you should do this afternoon?"

"Hmm?"

"Find Cassie, and ask her to help get a basket together for you. Take your wife outside for a picnic. She's been through a hell of a lot the past couple years of her life."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. He realized that, for all his time in the past few weeks spent with Guinevere, their only real conversations had been centered on getting him back up and running, their son, and adjusting his mindset. He marvelled at the strength she had shown and wondered if he could have done the same, if their positions had been reversed.

Images of his own father while he was growing up, came to mind. The bitterness from the loss of Arthur's mother came to the forefront. How differently would he have reacted, if it was Guinevere who had been taken from him?

He turned to thank Merlin for the suggestion, but discovered his friend was already sound asleep.

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Hey Dallon, where ya been? Colonel Reeves has been looking for ya." Lt. Summer said, with a teasing glint in his eye. "You were supposed to report to the gym for our phys training two hours ago. You're gonna be in trouble."

"Shut up, Summer. I was busy with some personal shit." Gwaine responded, "Where's the Colonel? I need to talk with him."

"Filing a report with General Landry about your behavior." The cocky young Lieutenant stood back in a challenging stance. "Word has it, you're gonna be on your way out soon."

"You're walking a fine line, Lieutenant. Don't push me...not when Reeves isn't here to save your sorry ass. In case you've forgotten, I outrank you."

"Oooh, is that a threat...Major?" Summer stepped forward, coming face to face with his superior.

"Is there a problem?" Major Calden's voice broke through the tension.

Gwaine's mouth worked, trying to formulate a response. He simply wasn't in a mood to deal with Summer.

The Lieutenant smirked, and backed off a step. "No, Sir. I was just explaining to Major Dallon that the Colonel was looking for him."

Calden, luckily, had a better head on his shoulders than his teammate, and could sense the underlying tension. Gwaine outranked him due to time served, although the other Major had been on the team longer. He had an easy-going attitude and worked well with the others, mostly ignoring Summer's behavior.

Recently, he'd expressed to Gwaine, that the reason he wasn't considered for the Second-In-Command position on the team, was because he was on his way out. Calden had seen enough of the day-to-day activities of the SGC, and was being offered a very lucrative position as a consultant, to one of the Base's private contractors. "Everything alright, Dallon?"

Gwaine nodded mutely, finally taking his eyes off Summer.

"Oh, come on Major. It's not like someone died, or anything."

Before Calden could blink, Gwaine's fist had met with Summer's jaw. He grabbed Gwaine and pulled him back, just as Security Personnel converged on the altercation.

**(*~*)**

A few minutes later, all four members of SG-18 were standing in Landry's office. The general was pacing back and forth, ranting, "You lot don't think I have enough to deal with? What with the Prior Virus running rampant? The President declared a state of quarantine..but it was too late, we're already getting reports in that someone managed to get on a flight to Europe!"

He came to a stop in front of Gwaine. "Major Dallon, I think I have been more than lenient with you, since your return. I don't know how command issues were handled in the Dark Ages, but here...IT'S NOT BY PUNCHING YOUR TEAM MATE!"

Summer's was holding an ice pack to his face, while trying to stand at attention. He let out a soft, unintentional snort at the reprimand Gwaine was receiving. Unfortunately, this caused Landry's attention to shift.

He stood in front of Summer, looking down his nose at the lieutenant. The kid snapped to full attention immediately. "You think that's funny...do you? You think, just because you guys are Marines, that you can get away with antics like this?"

"No, Sir!" Summer responded.

"Colonel Reeves. What do you have to say about your team? I know you had just written up Major Dallon again. I had thought, since the two of you knew each other years ago, you might be able to work with him easier. Was I wrong?"

"Sir, I've tried working with him, but as this incident shows..."

"This incident also shows what others have complained about, as well, Colonel! You can't control your team! I have half a mind to throw you all in the brig!"

The door to Landry's office opened. Walter purposely didn't make eye contact with any of the officers inside, as he tapped nervously at the paper in his hand. "Sorry, Sir. The latest report of those infected. There's been another..." He paused. Normally, he was able to relay information easily, but he'd read the name on the printout. Walter swallowed and glanced at Gwaine.

"Another what, Chief?"

"Uh...sorry, Sir. There's been another death reported. This was one of the people infected at the gas station and brought to Level Five." His eyes shifted to Gwaine again. The Major's eyes were closed and Walter realized, Gwaine already knew what was on the report. Quickly, he handed the page to Landry and excused himself.

Landry's eyes narrowed. He sat down in the big red chair at his desk, his eyes scanning the report. "Major Dallon, I assume you were up on Level Five when Colonel Reeves was looking for you?"

Gwaine's eyes glistened and his mouth tightened, but he didn't break stance. "Yes, Sir."

The general nodded thoughtfully. "Is it safe to assume, you already know what is in this report?"

He didn't trust his voice to say anything more than..."Yes, Sir."

"You will still have to be punished for your physical assault on a fellow officer, and not informing your command right away."

"Yes, Sir." Gwaine didn't expect any less.

"The Base is still under lockdown...but you may go make any calls you need to. You are temporarily removed from duty until this can be resolved. Dismissed."

"Yes, Sir." He nodded and moved towards the door, not making eye contact with his teammates.

"Sir!" The colonel began to protest. He was silenced with a single look from Landry.

"Oh, and Major Dallon...". Landry added, as Gwaine's hand reached for the handle.

He turned back to his commanding officer.

"My condolences to you and your family."

Gwaine inhaled sharply, unable to stop the tears from beginning their descent. He swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Thank you, Sir."

_Gwaine had tried to keep an encouraging smile on his face. Boyd had lived a long life, filled with hardship and loss._

_"I'm glad you were found, kid. I think your sister would have been the death of me...if you hadn't come home. Take care of her, and those brats of hers."_

_Gwaine laughed with Pops. "I will." He reached out for his grandfather's hand, though it felt strange through the biohazard suit he wore. Covered head-to-toe in the gear meant to protect him from the alien disease, he felt clumsy and separated from the world around him._

_"Tell that friend of yours 'thanks' for me, will ya?"_

_"Which friend is that, Pops?" Gwaine bit back his tears, unable to wipe them away through the mask he wore._

_"That Emrys guy...Looks just like his grandfather. He saved my ass in the war...though, I don't think he knows it..." Boyd suffered through a coughing fit. When it finally quieted, he told his grandson how he had lied about his age and enlisted before he turned eighteen. Before he could blink, he was in the water, heading towards Normandy with thousands of other boys...just as scared as he was._

_"I thought you were a pilot...and got shot down?" Gwaine chuckled, wondering how far gone his grandfather's mind was._

_"That was later..." The old man's rheumy eyes clouded with nostalgia. "I don't like remembering the early days. We made our way inland...I got separated from my unit. Two days in, and I was a mess...couldn't have found my way out of a wet paper sack. A fire fight was going on above me and I saw an RAF Kittyhawk get shot down nearby._

_"I went to check out the wreckage...see if I could use the radio or something. The pilot was unconscious, but alive. I pulled him out and bandaged him as best I could. Thought he was a goner. Radio was busted. Figured, least I could do was not to let the man die alone...but after a while he came to. Seemed surprised, but who wouldn't be when you'd already made peace with your maker._

_"Took a few hours before he was able to limp along, but the guy seemed to be touched by God or something. I helped him move, and we found ourselves at one of the rendezvous points. He seemed to have an uncanny sense of direction. I remembered telling him how I had wanted to be a pilot myself. Never saw him again, after that, but when I got out of there, I found a letter accepting me to pilot training."_

_The old man coughed again, his body weakened by the disease, showed the strain of the action._

_"Hang in there, Pops. The docs here will find a cure and get you through." Gwaine used a towel to wipe his grandfather's face._

_"Not this time, buckaroo. It's time to put me out to pasture. Caitlyn is waiting for me...with supper ready. You know how feisty she can get, if I keep her waiting."_

_Gwaine had never had the pleasure of meeting his grandmother. She had died from cancer during his father's estrangement from the Dallon family. He knew the stories though, from Boyd and others, around the small Wyoming town they lived near. Everything he heard, reminded him of Laney. As much as he wanted his grandfather to survive...he knew in his heart, it was time to let go._

Landry turned back to the other three members of SG-18. He was secretly pleased to see the shock and shame evident on both Reeves and Summer's faces. "Dismissed."

Reeves and Summer scrambled out of the office, but Calden paused at the door. "General...?" He implored.

"It was his grandfather."

"Shit."

Landry simply nodded.

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Major Dallon?" Lam's voice called, from the door of Gwaine's on Base living quarters.

The majority of the personnel who worked at the SGC, had sleeping quarters assigned to them. For the enlisted, this meant a barracks situation with bunkbeds, or racks, in a larger room. Junior officers, like Lieutenant Summer, shared rooms with one or two others of similar rank; while those further up in the hierarchy, were given private one room quarters.

Gwaine was sitting on the edge of his bed, in the same position he had been for the last five hours, since being dismissed by Landry. The old stetson hat hung loosely from his fingers, while he stared at the floor. He twisted its brim and let the memories wash over him. He didn't want to be alone, but he knew he was poor company. With the crisis caused by the pandemic, he wanted to keep himself out of the way.

"Shouldn't you be working on the cure or something, Doc?" He glanced up at her.

Carolyn Lam came into the room quietly and sat on the bed next to him. "About an hour ago Gerak, the former leader of the Free Jaffa, came through the Gate. He'd become a Prior for the Ori, but I guess he hadn't fully converted."

He shrugged, not understanding what she was trying to get at.

"That wave of power that came through recently...cured everyone. He sacrificed himself to create a cure."

Gwaine recalled feeling the odd pulse, much like a change in air pressure, roll through the Base earlier. Since the entire air flow system of the SGC was pressurized, it had made him wonder.

Carolyn continued, "Unfortunately, it wasn't strong enough to go much beyond the area, but we've already been able to isolate the antibodies it created in the victims of the P2V and it will be easy to synthesize the cure for others around the globe. I wish he had come through sooner."

Gwaine shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Pops was up there in years. If it wasn't this..." He choked back the emotion that began to overwhelm him.

The doctor put her arm around his back, and that moment of offered comfort was greedily accepted. Gwaine sagged into her arms and cried.

After a while she pulled back. "Have you called anyone yet?"

He shook his head. Gwaine had picked up his phone, and had started to dial the numbers numerous times to his sister, Merlin and Percival. Each time, he had hung up before it connected. "I don't know what to tell them. I left a message for my sister, after I first found out he was here..but I haven't heard back."

"Well, I need to get back to work. We should be off of Lock-Down in about an hour. Do you want me to get someone to drive you home?"

He took her hand in his and kissed the back of her fingers. Dark brown eyes, still wet with tears, lifted and met hers. Carolyn leaned forward at the same time he did. Their lips meeting in a gentle caress.

Gwaine gasped and sat up straight as realization dawned on him of who he was, who she was, and where they were. "Damn..."

She gave him a look of questioning surprise. "I'm sorry. You just lost your grandfather..."

"Well, that too..." He sniffed loudly and stared at the wall. "...but aside from that, you are also the General's daughter."

"Ah..." Carolyn pursed her lips.

He stood up, began pacing and raked a hand over his head. His mind was reeling from the loss, and was now compounded by the thought of how much trouble he could get in, for kissing her. "Not even back a year and I'm making a total mess of things. My friends are in another country. Pops is...gone...because I convinced him to move to Colorado. My career is probably tanked now...if not for decking a subordinate, then for..." He waved his hand in her direction.

She pushed herself up off the bed and took his hand, halting his back and forth movements. "Hey! You have friends here, too." Carolyn protested. Taking a breath, she squeezed his fingers. "Your grandfather's heart was weak, but he got to spend time with you...and you got to be there with him, when he passed. From what I heard, Summer deserved it...and I think, I might have been the one to take advantage of your emotional state. So, you can't be held accountable."

Allowing himself a chuckle through his grief, he squeezed her hand. "You're right...You are right." He sighed forlornly. "You did take advantage of me."

"I did, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did...and if you did it again, I probably wouldn't complain."

Her dark eyebrows rose up on her forehead. "Probably wouldn't?"

"Okay, fine." He rolled his eyes. "I promise, I won't file sexual harassment charges."

Her dark eyes sparkled with amusement at his choice of phrasing.

Gwaine lifted his free hand and ran his fingers through her hair to the back of her neck. Closing the distance between their faces, their lips met again, softly. "Thank you." He whispered, against her mouth.

She pulled away, a blush rising into her cheeks. Brushing her black hair away from her face, she drew a deep breath and smiled, "I need to get back to work, so you can go home."

Reluctantly, he released her and nodded.

Carolyn reached the door and turned back for a moment. "Let me know, when you want to buy me that drink."

"Yo! Dallon!" They heard, as she opened the door to leave.

"Colonel Mitchell," she said, acknowledging the man with a nod, before moving past him.

"Doc," he returned. Cameron stared at Gwaine for a moment. "I wanted to catch you and let you know...I heard about Pops...but I have to say, that color really suits you, man." He pointed to his own lips, indicating that his friend should probably look in a mirror, before going anywhere.

While Gwaine was looking in the mirror, wiping the little bit of rose lipstick off, he laughed.

"What?" Cameron asked.

"You know, Pops got to meet Dr. Lam one of the days I was in the hospital, after I got back. He took a shine to her."

The colonel guffawed, "I wouldn't put it past him to have made sure he died here. Just to see her again...and to try and set you up."

"Me neither." Gwaine laughed, "Remember that time I dragged you to the rodeo..."

"...and there were those two fine little ladies, in the painted-on jeans? Mmhmm."

Gwaine smiled and nodded, "I remember him saying...'I may be too old to chase them tails...'"

"'...but it doesn't mean I can't put on my sweet ol' grandpa charm, to get them to look your way!'"

"Attention all personnel: Quarantine status is no longer in effect. Stand down from Quarantine..." Walter's voice continued through the intercom system.

"Come on, buddy. I'll walk you out. Have you talked to Laney yet?"

Shaking his head, Gwaine grabbed his things and locked up his room. "I think it'll be better face-to-face, with the boys and all."


	29. Part 3: Chapter 6

_Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! You guys are super!_

_AWanderersHaven: Merlin and what's going on with him will be explained...eventually. (there is a VERY vague hint in this chapter)_

_CarolynneRuth: A bit more back story for Merlin in this chapter. I had some fun with the last part._

_LinBates: Thanks. No I don't have a schedule. I found with my writing my muses rebel against them._

_War sage: Thanks!_

_Tholey: Glad to have you back! I have something different in mind. _

_Aerist: I don't kill off THAT many characters LOL _

_Flamie: This chapter isn't nearly as emotional._

_Nance: Summer is gonna get his eventually hehe. _

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**Proofed by Nance, beta'ed for flow by IcarusLSU**

* * *

Fumbling for the phone, Merlin tried to shove the remnants of sleep from his mind. He attempted to answer it, but realized he had been too slow. The alert showed that the call had been from Martha. He groaned and looked at the time. Just after two a.m.; he mentally counted out the hours since he had first decided to lay down.

His plan had been to take a brief nap before supper, just to regain his strength after pouring his energy into healing Arthur. Obviously, it took more out of him than he imagined. Twelve hours, and he barely felt as if he had slept at all, so vivid were the dreams he suffered. It was reminiscent of the tapestry of fate he had witnessed before he used his healing on Arthur. The intensity of it in the dream had increased, and actually left him feeling the twinges of a headache, upon waking.

He heard the beep from the electronic device, alerting him to a waiting voicemail message. Part of him wanted to call her back immediately, but he knew if he did, he would lose the images in his mind. He, instead, found the vocal recorder among the apps in the phone and began describing all he could remember, before the dream was gone forever. It was a practice he had begun on a trip through what was now modern China, back in the thirteenth century.

Around nine-hundred and eighty, Merlin had been serving as an advisor to a very young king. The boy, Æthelred, wasn't even a teenager yet, when members of his household had taken it upon themselves to kill his older brother, so that their master could have the crown.

A year later, the Danes had begun raiding the coastal towns. The Normans along the coast of France were giving safe harbor to their Danish cousins, from whom they were descended. Merlin had taken the opportunity to hand deliver a message to the Pope to ask for aid in reaching a peaceful agreement between England and Normandy, in an attempt to stem the attacks.

He had briefly considered going back to Æthelred's court after speaking with the Pope, but his heart wasn't in it. Instead, he had decided to travel around through the different regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. This had included Egypt and down into Africa for a time, before he found himself back in Italy, with the intention to set out for his homeland...from which he had been absent for nearly three centuries.

In Venice, a chance meeting with a rather affluent man had afforded Merlin with the opportunity to make a rather nice sum of gold, as a tutor for the man's nephew...a young boy named Marco. When the boy's father had returned from travelling through Asia, the stories he brought with him sparked excitement. Although torn about going home, Merlin had decided that a few more years away wouldn't hurt. So, when they had asked him to join their expedition along what would later become known as the Silk Road...he had eagerly accepted.

The caravan had stopped in Persia to speak with Kublai Khan, and shortly thereafter, had set out for China to find a bride for the Khan. Once they had made it to Shanghai, Merlin was in complete awe of the ancient eastern city.

When the party of merchants...including the now grown man Merlin had been tutoring for years...decided to head back west, the warlock realized it was time for him to separate from his young friend Marco at last. When he literally ran into a young lady in the busy fish market, it was just the opportunity he had been hoping for. Ning was the embodiment of the very definition of her name...tranquillity. He couldn't speak but a few words of her language. The flirtatious smiles, as he helped her pick up the items she had dropped, had been enough though, to break through the initial barrier.

Merlin noticed with interest that much of what she carried, appeared to be of an herbal nature, possibly for healing. He sniffed one that smelled rather familiar, like comfrey. Upon Merlin's pantomime of using the herb on a wound, her black eyes lit up and she nodded. After which, she beckoned him to follow her, and he did without a second thought.

For the nearly eight decades, they spent their lives together. Merlin quickly learned the language. Ning's father was a healer, and his skills extended beyond just herbal medicine. Having no son, he taught Merlin his craft. It took a while for the concepts of Feng Shui to actually sink into his very western brain, but the acupuncture and other aspects of Chinese medicine came naturally to him.

They had no children of their own, but Ning and Merlin's home was far from empty. Children from the streets seemed to find their way into the home and the hearts of the two of them.

The celebrations for the lunar New Year began a few days after Ning was laid to rest. Merlin watched from a hilltop, as dragon dancers and crowds of people filled the streets. Fireworks were ignited and he watched as the tail of sparks shot into the night sky.

Amidst the joy of the party, he felt more lost than he had been since he said goodbye to Mithian. He wondered about the significance of the New Year...the year of the Dragon.

Intrigued, he noticed some children, dressed in the costume of a white dragon. One little boy peaked out from under the middle and handed Merlin a firework. "Shoot it to the sky and it will show you the way."

...And Merlin did...watching the trail as it arched towards the west...towards his homeland.

He gifted the apothecary shop and nearly all of his possessions to one of the children they had raised. He left with only a few personal possessions, and the supplies needed to make the first leg of the journey.

Merlin laid back when he finished recording his dream, which included some of the memories of that time in China. In the dream, however, instead of an explosion at the top of the firework's arc, it had morphed and the great wings unfurled, revealing the familiar form of a western dragon flying off towards the stars.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Strong muscles ached in a way that felt so good. He stretched and smiled. He looked over the sleeping form next to him. She seemed so much younger than she had the day before. Cautiously sweeping aside her dark curls, he kissed her cheek before deciding to pull himself out of the bed.

Biting back a chuckle, he grinned upon hearing her sleepy protest as his warmth left the bed. Arthur pulled on the soft fleece pants he had been given, and padded silently across the room. Beaming with pride, he adjusted the blanket over the small boy in the crib...sound asleep, just like his mother.

He grabbed a shirt out of the wardrobe and shook his head. It was thinner than most of the tunics he used to wear, and as with all the clothing in this modern age, was softer and stretchy. Slipping it on, he enjoyed the way the T-shirt material hugged him, like a second skin. He wasn't vain...well, not entirely...but he had been brought up to care about his appearance. It was expected, first as prince and later as king, to set himself apart from others.

Aside from the clothing, there were so many other differences he had yet to wrap his mind around. He had spent some time earlier that day discussing it with his wife. His smile widened, recalling the glorious afternoon they spent together. His smile widened, recalling the glorious afternoon they had spent together. After Merlin had fallen asleep, Arthur managed to find not only Cassie, but also a lady named Harri, who turned out to be the housekeeper.

Harri's husband, Wendell, was the butler for the estate, and his family had managed the place for 'The Colonel' for nearly seven generations. With an overflowing picnic basket, the thin woman, who was perhaps in her sixties, sent him on his way and out into the gardens.

He and Gwen ate, while Aurie crawled around on the manicured lawn, chasing bugs and eating grass. "Can you ever forgive me?" He had asked of his wife.

Guinevere gave him the most curious look. "For what?"

"Leaving you...and not being there with Aurielinus."

"Oh, Arthur!" She moved in and kissed him deeply. "I am so grateful to have you returned to me...to us, I mean. I think this is how things are supposed to be. Now, I can finally be just your wife."

"I'm not sure I know how to be a husband and not a king, though."

"You'll learn, just as I learned how to be a queen for you." Gwen smiled knowingly.

"But what are we to do with ourselves? I don't want to live off Merlin's generosity for the rest of our lives. He's an old man, and it shows."

Biting her bottom lip, Gwen glanced back at the house. "I'm not sure if it's age that is plaguing him."

"So, it's not just my imagination?"

She shook her head. "I think I will call Martha and ask her about it. I've seen him use magic, Arthur...powerful magic from before...and I don't recall it ever taking such a toll. I would think after centuries of practice, it would come easier to him, but it appears to be quite the opposite."

"Perhaps, it is time we start looking after him then?" Arthur said with a gleam in his eye. Gwen had laughed and agreed.

Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of an old man in a small, motorized buggy. He introduced himself as Ben, the gardener, and offered to take them on a tour of the gardens if they wished. He spoke to them in a friendly manner, but his thick accent caused Arthur to blink rapidly, in a complete lack of comprehension to what the man was saying. Gray whiskers dotted the man's chin, though his upper lip was bare. Fuzzy, white hair stuck out from under the man's cap, and was revealed to be the only hair on the man's otherwise bald head, when the man tipped his hat to them. His teeth, those that remained, were worn and crooked, with an odd yellow staining.

They rode through the gardens in the buggy. Ben pointed out different areas of interest as they went. Some of the places had stone walls surrounding them; others were bordered with low hedges. There were others with intricate stone fountains and huge plots of roses. Arthur had rarely ever taken the time to visit the gardens in Camelot, though he knew they had been nowhere near as grand as what he was seeing. Uther had never spent too much time or resources on such frivolity, that Arthur knew of...or if he did, Arthur never took the time to notice.

Ben took them to the stables next...a large, modern facility, with an indoor ring as large as the tournament field was in Camelot. Arthur beamed and danced around like a child, completely awed by the conditions inside the stables, with its climate control and cleanliness. "These horses live better than we did in the castle!"

Gwen smiled, and adjusted Aurie on her hip, her eyes roving the stalls in overwhelmed fascination. "They certainly do."

Arthur extended his arms for his son, and Gwen happily handed the boy over. Aurie stared wide-eyed at one of the horses. "When you are old enough, my son, I shall teach you to ride. My father hired a tutor for me, but I guess that is a definite upside to no longer being king. I shall be able to teach you myself."

Amber brown eyes misted over with a memory. "Sir Leon had just chosen a young colt, which he was planning to personally train for Aurie...just before the sickness came through."

Arthur instinctively moved closer to Gwen, as if he could somehow protect her from the memories.

After that, they made their way back towards the main manor house and moved on to other, lighter, topics of conversation. Arthur understood now how precious life was, and he didn't want to squander it by seeing the sadness in his wife's eyes.

He looked back at her content sleeping form on the bed. 'Yes,' he thought, 'I am a lucky man. ' Leaving the room, he wandered through the dimly lit hallways. The place was certainly different from the Camelot he had known, but it didn't seem as out of place to him as he thought it would.

The sound of a voice brought his attention out its meandering.

"...coming back home soon, then?"

"Good. Oh?" Just the tone in Merlin's voice told Arthur his friend had a large smile on his face. "So, you decided not to get the shot...that means...?" Merlin laughed, "Yes, love, I'll get right on it. Yeah, it is a bit scary, but I think I'm ready for it again, because it'll be with you."

"Right. Well, you drive safely, darling, and I'll see you tomorrow night."

Arthur found his friend sitting midway down the grand central staircase leading into the main hall. He sat down next to him. "Was that Dr. Jones?"

"Yeah. I guess an antidote has been found to combat the plague already. So, whatever it was, isn't anywhere near as bad as it could have been."

"Have you heard back from Gwaine?"

Merlin shook his head. "I was going to give him a ring tomorrow, if I haven't heard from him by then."

"So...what are we to do until then?"

Shrugging, the warlock peeled himself off the stairs. "I think I should start working on translating the files Dr. Jackson gave me."

"I may as well give you a hand with that, then. I don't think I could sleep anytime soon. I think I had enough of that over the past centuries."

"You help? Really?" Merlin snickered.

"Hey, I was formally tutored and can speak three languages."

"Well, alright then. Let's get to it."

**(*~*~*~*)**

"Wow...just...wow. I know he said he drank a bit more back then, but I don't think I had a clue how much. It sounds like my brother had a very interesting adventure."

The blond man chuckled and brushed the curls out of his face. "So it would appear."

"Why am I not surprised, though, that my brother would stick his hand inside a beehive, just for some honey?"

"Uncle Gwaine's almost home." Toby said, coming out onto the front porch. He glanced warily at the blond man who had been at the house, when he and his brother came home from school. He brushed his own light brown hair out of his face and flopped down on the steps, with an electronic game in his hand.

Leon caught himself wondering how much the boy must have looked like his uncle at that age.

"Aren't you supposed to be doing your homework?" Laney asked, and received an apathetic shrug in return.

"I saw the Beast turning off the highway." From his room, Toby was able to see across the fields to the highway using Boyd's old binoculars. "Do you think Pops is with him?"

Elaine moved to the steps and put her arm around him. "I don't know."

Soon after, they began to hear the old Scout's engine as it turned down the drive and the headlights caught them on the porch. Leon stepped back into the shadows and watched.

Toby was at the door of the orange vehicle the moment the engine cut off. His mother stayed back on the porch, wringing her hands nervously. She saw her brother open the door of the Scout and say something to Toby. The kid's shoulders slumped and his chin nearly touched his chest. Gwaine climbed out and immediately wrapped his nephew in an embrace.

She felt her shoulders tighten. Just from their body language, she was able to tell. The news, although not unexpected, wasn't good. Gwaine pulled back and said a few more words, before he reached into the old Scout and pulled out a familiar, worn out Stetson. He put it on his nephew's head with a sad smile. Toby nodded and moved to the back of the vehicle, presumably to get his uncle's bag, while Gwaine shut the driver's door and looked towards his sister, silhouetted in the porch light.

On shaking legs, she stepped down off the porch onto the gravel drive. One foot in front of the other, Elaine made her way over to her brother. "He...didn't make it, did he?"

Gwaine shook his head. "No...it wasn't even the virus that ultimately got him. It was that bloody heart of his."

She nodded, and felt the tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Strong arms pulled her into an embrace. "I'm glad it happened this way."

Looking down at his sister, Gwaine started to open his mouth to question.

"I mean, that I don't have to deal with this alone...in the middle of bum-frack-Wyoming."

He chuckled, "Yeah, me too. How about we go in, have a drink, and figure out how to tell the little ones?"

"I'm more than ready for a drink, after the day I've had." Wrapping her arm around his torso, he kept one of his across her shoulders and moved towards the porch. Suddenly, she turned and punched his shoulder.

"OW!"

"That was for creating a mess in laundry, when that stupid coin of yours got through into the you have any idea what I've been through today?!"

He took a moment to look at her, and realized she was purposely not dealing with the sadness for the time being. "Well, I think we've both had a doozy. I decked Lt. Summer. Got hit on by a cute little doctor..."

"Oh, nice." She deadpanned, "I was abducted by a hot alien friend of yours."

They stared at each other for a moment. Gwaine licked his lips and cocked his head off to the side with a roll of his eyes, attempting to assess if she was being serious.

Toby came lumbering by, hauling his uncle's duffle bag. "Mom's not joking. That's the guy standing on the porch, but I don't know about the whole 'hot' thing."

Gwaine first glanced at his sister, wearing a look of disbelief, that she might have compromised the secret classification of his work.

"Not my fault! He beamed me up, and then back like something out of Star Trek! Randy happened to see us return...and of course, he had to tell his brothers when they got home from school."

Dark eyebrows furrowed and followed his sister's gesturing hand towards the front door. A face from the past, barely changed by the passage of time...like when he first saw Merlin again, though his own and Percival's separation had been brief from their friend...he was able to detect the subtle changes in the man before him.

Blue eyes met his brown ones, and a smile formed on Gwaine's face. "It _was_ you out there."

"I never would have recognized you, if it hadn't been for the other man calling out 'Sir Gwaine', in a very familiar manner." The blond man said. He came forward and held out his arm.

Gwaine grasped it at the wrist and the two estranged friends pulled each other into a hug.

"I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather." Leon's voice was soft and his sentiment was heartfelt.

Gwaine nodded his thanks. "Well, looks like we'll be sharing some stories over drinks tonight, eh? Good thing, too. I could use the distraction."

"First though, we need to..." Laney said in a melancholy tone.

Her brother understood exactly what she meant. Sitting the boys down and talking to them about their great-grandfather, was the first priority.

**(*~*~*~*)**

"I don't suppose you ever went swimming to get my sword back?" Arthur tone betrayed his boredom. He had thought, for some reason, that he would have actually been able to assist Merlin. For the first hour, the warlock had attempted to explain the computer. All the former king managed to do, was to make the infernal machine beep at him, as if scolding him for touching the wrong button. He had finally given up and settled for waking up someone to brew him and Merlin some of the coffee the warlock was quite fond of.

A few hours later, having drunk the coffee and poked through the library, Arthur was simply bored and began a mild interrogation into Merlin's past.

"Nope." Merlin responded in a clipped tone. His fingers moved across the letters.

The king reached out to smack the back of his servant's head.

Merlin ducked the blow without a blink. He paused for a moment, his shoulders sagged slightly, and he looked at Arthur. "I tried to use magic, but I couldn't find it...Even took a boat out with an underwater radar and a metal detector at one point, but no use. It's not there anymore, Arthur. It hasn't been for years." He turned back to the screen and the clicking of the keyboard started again.

Shaking his head, Arthur held up his hand in disbelief. "You lost the sword that was burnished in dragon's fire? The one you made for me?"

"Yep." The tapping continued.

"How the hell did you even convince the dragon to breathe on it and not incinerate you?

"He liked me."

"He liked you?"

"Yep. We were sorta like kin, until he died."

"Kin?" The blond king groaned and closed his eyes, not quite grasping what his friend was trying to tell him. "I killed your kin? Is that why your knickers are all in a bunch?"

Merlin stopped and looked at Arthur as if he'd grown a second head. Blue eyes blinked rapidly. "Actually, no."

"No? Your knickers aren't bunched?"

"No...You didn't kill him."

A beat passed, and then another. "What?"

"You were unconscious...as usual. I told him to leave Camelot alone." Merlin's eyes went back to the screen and the tapping resumed.

"You...scolded him?"

"Eh..." Merlin drawled out. "I wouldn't put it that way...Threatened him, perhaps."

"... Many people died during his attack." Arthur stated redundantly.

"Yes, and your father had managed to kill all the rest of his kind, and their dragon lords during the Purge...How, I will never know. Then, he tricked the last dragon lord into imprisoning Kilgharrah for more than twenty years. Kilgharrah was just waiting for Uther to step outside and face him...so he could eat him."

Arthur scoffed, "...and all my father did was hide in his castle, while we went...wait..." The whole picture began to come together in the king's mind. "I thought only a dragon lord could command a dragon?"

"Yep."

"So, how did you...?"

Merlin's fingers fell silent, and he pushed back from the desk. He placed his hands in his lap and drew a deep breath. It was obvious to the king that whatever information his friend was going to convey, weighed heavily on the man's ancient soul. His eyes met Arthur's. "Balinor was my father."

A pregnant pause stretched between them, while Arthur processed this information. "Oh..."

Merlin shrugged and resumed his work. The computer was soon making a series of unhappy beeping noises. "Oh, bugger all to sodding hell!" Merlin glared at the screen in front of him. It obviously hadn't done what he wished for. "Think I'm going to go for a ride and blow off some steam. Care to join me, Arthur?"

The king nodded half-heartedly. "Why not?"

He followed Merlin outside and turned towards the path that would lead him to the stables.

"Wrong type of ride, Arthur." Merlin commented dryly, as he headed around the back of the manor. Another large building next to the main driveway rose up before them. A keypad with numbers and a shiny black square underneath, was next to a very solid-looking door. Merlin proceeded to enter a series of numbers and then placed his thumb on the black square. It beeped and the sound of the door unlocking followed.

A flip of a light switch just to the right of the door, illuminated the level concrete floor and the space within. Inside the building were a few large canvas-covered items; each shaped oddly, and no two appeared the same size or shape. Around the walls were black and red metal shelves and drawers.

Merlin looked over the shapes, before nodding to himself. "The Jag."

"What's a 'Jag?'"

"Jaguar."

"A large cat? You mean to tell me, there are cages with large predators that you ride, under the cloths?"

Merlin guffawed, "Really? Oh, my friend..." The smile that the warlock sent his way was reminiscent of the old days. "You have so much to learn."

Still laughing, Merlin walked around a couple of massive lumps to one that seemed a bit smaller than the rest. He pulled off the tarp with a flourish and stepped back.

Arthur looked at the dark green metal vehicle that was unveiled. It was certainly different. He could honestly say he had never seen anything like it. He kept his voice even. "Very...impressive...What is it?"

Gaping like a fish, Merlin sputtered and wiped a hand over his face. He exhaled and stepped over, running his hand over the round, smooth metal lovingly. "This is a 1957 Jaguar XR SS. A lady friend...who wanted to be much more than friends, if you catch my meaning...bought this for me years ago, brand new. Only sixteen were ever made and shipped out, before there was a fire in the factory. I was over in the States at that time and happened to stop in a city called Las Vegas. If I had known this lady was there, I would have kept my head low. I hadn't seen her since the war. I was flying a Kittyhawk for the RAF, and she was performing at a USO concert. She asked if I liked cats since the plane's name began with 'kitty' and her English was good, but she had a thick accent..soooo, it came out sounding very sultry...

"We flirted a bit. I thought it was harmless...shared a rather fun evening or two together. Then, I flew out and she carried on to the next stop on her tour. She began writing me letters though...and I found out she was married. I decided it was time to change things at that point. I broke off any and all contact, faked my death and moved on."

Merlin chuckled and shook his head. "Never thought I'd run across her again, or if I did...that she wouldn't recognize me...but there I was...stuck...face-to-face with her, in the casino where she was headlining. She began badgering me about my secret to still appearing so young. I refused to tell her, of course, but we still ended up becoming quite good friends for a while. Then, one day she shows up at my flat with a car...this car. 'Said, since she didn't know how old I was, and she had obviously missed every one of my birthdays...This was my gift. A 'cat'...from a cougar. Odd sense of humor, that one."

"I thought you said this was called a Jaguar?"

"It is..."

"Then what does a cougar have to do with it?"

"She was, at that time...a cougar." He noted the look of confusion on Arthur's face. "Um...an older woman who prefers younger men...and since I appeared so much younger, she thought it was fitting."

"I see..." He really didn't, and had very little understanding of Merlin's story, but felt it best just to agree instead of looking ignorant.

Merlin wasn't fooled. He rolled his eyes and motioned to the opposite side of the car. "Go around and get in. Sit down, and buckle up. I want to show you what modern horsepower is."

Once settled in the car, Merlin pushed a button a remote similar to the one that moved the curtains in Arthur's room, and a large door opened up in front of them. He turned the key and the engine of the Jag roared to life. Merlin's smile filled his face. He placed sunglasses over his eyes and put the car in gear. "You might want to hang on."

"Why?" Arthur asked, with no small amount of trepidation.

"Let us just say, there's a reason Martha doesn't like to let me drive..."

_Well I went to bed in Memphis_

_And I woke up in Hollywood_

_I got a quarter_

_in my pocket_

_And I'd call you if I could_

_But I don't know why_

_I gotta fly..._

_...Like Steve McQueen_

_All I need's a fast machine_

_I'm gonna make it all right_

_~Sheryl Crow "Steve McQueen"_

* * *

_**AN: Did I mention how much fun I had writing this chapter? hehe**_


	30. Part 3: Chapter 7

AN: So there was some confusion with the "fleece pants" and some people wondering why Arthur would be wearing woolly underwear...*face palm* So...I haven't changed it yet, I still have some other edits to go back to on that last chapter, but I think between HoC chat and my beta, we have it finally worked out to the Brit equivalent of "Jogging bottoms". Other than that, review responses back at the bottom tonight. Let me know if you guys prefer them here or there.

* * *

_"Truth is not a reward for good behaviour, nor a prize for passing some tests. It cannot be brought about. It is the primary, the unborn, the ancient source of all that is. You are eligible because you are. You need not merit truth. It is your own. Just stop running away by running after. Stand still, be quiet."_

_-Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj_

* * *

White mist swirled around them, in the abyss between dimensions.

"You are toeing the line, Lancelot." She said, coming up next to him.

He smiled and shrugged, "Perhaps...and what if I was to cross it?"

"You saw what happened to Daniel Jackson, when he went directly against Anubis."

"I don't plan on doing anything like that."

"...And what do you plan on...Wait. Don't tell me, Lancelot."

"They need to be stopped, they have already found the last one."

"It went to them of it's own free will. We cannot be held responsible."

"But it didn't know that it would be imprisoned by the Ori. Hasn't it suffered enough? Haven't they all?"

"It is not for us to decide." She sighed, feeling his determination. "If the opportunity arises, I will do what I can. It must be up to them to figure out how to save us all."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Greg and Randy took the news of the loss rather well, considering the circumstances and their ages. Greg insisted he wanted to see Pops, and Gwaine explained that he would be able to at the memorial service.

Elaine remained upstairs in the boys' room, wanting to stay until they fell asleep. Gwaine made his way back down to the kitchen, where Leon waited. The blond man was facing out the window, looking into the dark night. His light blue eyes that once conveyed his many emotions were now guarded.

"So..." Gwaine said, entering the room and heading straight for the upper cabinet, where his sister kept her stash of alcohol.

"Your sister is not quite the 'evil old toad,' I had once pictured her to be."

Gwaine poured three glasses. He smirked, taking one for himself and handing another to Leon. He left the third out for the 'toad.' "Yeah. Well, things look different, after some time apart, eh?" He held out his glass.

Leon nodded and clinked the rim of his own to Gwaine's in understanding. "Well, you certainly do, my old friend."

"Are you a recent arrival to this time, or have you taken the long road, like Merlin did?" The dark-eyed man asked, as he sat down.

Leon blinked and sipped at his drink. "I guess I've taken the long road, if you mean ' have I lived out every Earth year since then.' I was surprised to find out from your sister that Merlin was even around...Although, it still doesn't compare to the initial shock of finding you here, or there, as it were."

"What all did my sister tell you?"

"Not much. She is quite stubborn, and I did not wish to press overly much with her obvious distress due to your grandfather. Tell me, the virus...was it originated by a Prior?"

Gwaine licked his lips and nodded, "I guess classified stuff like that, really doesn't apply to you, since you probably know more about them, than I do. That virus...or whatever it is...is just a trick to get people to follow them. Come through...threaten death and doom, if they don't follow the Book of Origin..."

Leon understood all too well. He had witnessed what the Priors and their bid for control had done to a few planets."Then, they come back a few days later. Heal everyone. Raise the dead and proclaim that the Ori they serve, have the power over life and death. Even many of the more advanced cultures out there are falling into their trap, after they proved they could wipe out an entire planet."

The Major stared at the amber liquid in his glass. "There was a Jaffa who came through the Gate...who had become a Prior...but he changed his mind. I guess it was quite the spectacle in the infirmary, when he used his staff to basically send out a wave of healing energy. Just after that though, he was consumed in flames for his disobedience to the Ori. Thanks to him though, we now have a cure for the Virus." He began to feel the anger bubbling through his veins. "They're going to now have a fight on their hands, with us having a way to combat it, but they still killed my grandfather. I'm starting to feel the need for some serious payback coming."

Leon offered a half-smile. "I think I have a couple things that may help. Although, how we are supposed to go about this...I'm not entirely sure." The ageless knight moved over to the coat rack near the back door, and fumbled around through the trench coat that hung there. He pulled out a book and tossed it on the table, in front of Gwaine. "A copy of the Book of Origin."

Picking it up, Gwaine began to flip through the pages. "...In a language that makes no sense to me. Merlin might have a better idea about this."

With his friend's focus on the book, Leon took the opportunity to remove something hidden under his coat on the rack. He laughed at the look on Gwaine's face when he sat the gleaming sword on the table.

"That's..." Gwaine's mouth was as wide as his eyes. He looked over the sword in awe, rendered completely speechless.

"...Arthur's sword." Leon sat down at the table. "It has been in my charge, all these centuries. I was instructed to keep it safe and hidden, but I never knew the real reason why. I know it had something to do with the Ancient who was working with Lancelot...a woman called Ganos Lal...but she also took on the name 'Morgan Le Fey,' of all things."

"Oh that's just grand! Arthur's gonna go ape-shit when he finds out someone named herself after his sister."

"Arthur is alive?" Leon felt his breath catch. He began to mentally decipher Lancelot's cryptic phrasing.

Gwaine pursed his lips and looked at his watch. "One a.m. here is..."

"About nine a.m. in Wales." Laney said, coming into the kitchen and finding her drink waiting. "I was thinking..."

"That's dangerous."

"Shut up, Gwaine." The siblings shared a glance that spoke of the warmth behind their banter. "After Boyd's first heart-attack, I made sure he had everything in order. Where he wanted to be buried..."

"...Next to Grandma Cait, on the ranch."

"Yes, I know that now...but I didn't, back when I first came to take care of him." She leveled a threatening gaze at Gwaine. "So...about the only thing I might need help with, is getting the body to Wyoming, and dealing with all the guests at the actual service."

"It might be a few days, at least, until he's released for burial." Her brother commented.

"Riiiiight...and you've been fired for a few days anyway."

"I'm not fired! I can't just get 'fired' from the military."

"Sorry." She hooked her fingers and continued, "'Temporarily relieved of duty'. Anyway...have Captain Kirk here take you over to see Merlin and them for a couple days. I can hold down the fort."

"Captain Kirk?" Leon's brow rose in confusion.

"Yeah. Well, you have too much hair for Picard, and although pretty cute, you're not quite at Captain Reynolds level of stud-liness."

Leon, obviously, had no clue as to how to respond to the woman. Gwaine bit his lip to keep from laughing. As it was, a small snorting sound still escaped. "Laney...I doubt he understands any pop culture/sci-fi reference, judging by the look on his face."

"Oh..." She threw back the rest of the drink in her glass and took a breath, embarrassment creeping into her cheeks. She purposefully turned her back to them and began fiddling absentmindedly with something on the counter. "Anyway...have him space beam you over there, or something, for a couple of days. The boys and I will be fine."

His eyes sparkled with tears of laughter. He looked at Leon; a silent question in his eyes.

The blond man nodded, "It would be easy to get us there. I'm just worried about my ship being detected."

"If it hasn't been found yet..." Gwaine shrugged, "...then no one is looking for it. So, I'd assume it's safe. Earth's defenses aren't quite up to par yet."

"I can have us over to wherever he is, in less than ten minutes, then." He picked up the sword and slid it back into its scabbard.

Swallowing the last of his drink, Gwaine looked at his sister one last time for confirmation. "You call if you need me. Got it?"

She nodded.

"Alright, let me call Merlin and give him the heads up."

**(*~*~*~*)**

The cold fog bank had rolled in off the coast, and the hill on which the ruins of Caerleon once resided, loomed eerily above it. Two men pulled their coats tighter around them. Autumn was rolling in quickly, and the drop in temperature wasn't unexpected.

Percival marveled at the newer materials of the clothing he had acquired over the past several months. They were so much thinner and lighter than his old stuff, but offered much more protection against the elements. He pulled the hood of his raincoat tighter around his face.

The familiar beam of light brightened the hilltop, and when it receded, Percival gasped, "Sir Leon?"

"Hello, Percival." Leon's eyes took in the sight of the large man. The two were nearly matched in height, but standing next to the bulky man, Leon look nearly emaciated, even though he was still in prime physical condition. Other than the clothing, and unlike Gwaine, not much had changed in Percival's outward appearance in the fifteen centuries. "Gwaine told me you caught a ride here with him through the Stargate."

"I did, albeit a bit unwittingly." Percival clasped the outstretched arm in greeting. "Leon, this is Mickey Smith, a good friend."

Mickey smiled and shook Leon's hand. He turned to Gwaine. "I'm surprised you didn't call Merlin to meet you."

"I did, but there was no answer. I called Gwen too, and she had no idea where those guys were. She found Merlin's phone, a couple of cold cups of coffee, and no sign of them. Which is odd, because I thought his recovery time would have taken a bit longer."

The two men from Torchwood nodded their agreement. Mickey motioned to the waiting SUV and they began moving towards it. "Well, I got a text from him about six a.m. Something about his computer refusing to do what he wanted...or Arthur breaking it just by glaring at it. So, we might as well head on out there and see what's up."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Leon watched the world go by out the window, as they drove along. It was strange, but not surprising, to see how much the world had changed during his absence. If there was one thing he had learned from his travels, was that life was not stagnant. "You said Gwen is back as well?"

Gwaine nodded from his seat. "She's going to go nuts when she sees you, I think."

Leon was reluctant to ask, "What of her son?" He and Merlin had stepped in as father figures for the infant child, in Arthur's absence. He loved the child, almost as much as he had loved his own children. He pushed the thought out of his mind before it was fully formed.

"Aurie?" Percival responded from the front passenger seat. "He loves it when I make funny faces at him."

"...but I think he likes Merlin's bubbles even more than that." Gwaine laughed.

"I'd like Merlin's bubbles more than Percival's face, myself." Mickey said from the driver's seat and was promptly punched in the shoulder by his friend. "Oy! Driving here!"

"Speaking of driving..." Gwaine's voice held a hint of awe. "Is that what I think it is?" He pointed ahead on the road to a car coming towards them at a high speed.

"If you think it's a classic Jag, then, yes..." Grinning, Micky began flashing his headlights at the oncoming vehicle. "...and I only know of one person around these parts who has such a car."

"It's the street version of the old fifties racing Jag, right?"

"Yep." He slowed down the SUV, made sure there were no other cars on the road, and parked sideways across it, blocking both lanes. "Want to see something cool?"

Mickey climbed out of the driver's seat and stood in the road, directly in the path of the oncoming car.

The other three men glanced at each other nervously, as the Jag showed no sign of slowing. Just before it seemed like the collision would be eminent, the driver of the green car hit his brakes and cranked the wheel, bringing it to a perfectly executed sideways stop next to Mickey. They could vaguely make out two men in the car, as Mickey leaned down and began talking to the driver through the open top.

Gwaine clambered out, and began appraising the car. It was in pristine factory condition, which was surprising for the age of the vehicle. Although not an expert on British automobiles, he knew this one was something special. Pops had been a big fan of Steve McQueen, and had introduced Gwaine to the actor's movies and old racing videos, right after he had taken custody of his grandchildren. It was from that, that Gwaine knew this style of car. Only a handful of them existed and this one in front of him was a beauty. He didn't even glance at the car's occupants, until a voice called out to him.

"I swear Gwaine, if you actually drool on my car, I'm going to use your hide to clean it."

"Merlin?!" His jaw hit the pavement. "You gotta give me a ride in this...please? I'm grieving here. I need something to cheer me up, and I swear, my friend...this would do it."

Mickey stepped back as Merlin got out of the car. He took off the driving glasses and moved towards his friend. His face was somber. "What do mean 'grieving?'"

Gwaine offered him a sad smile. "Pops got sick from the Prior Virus."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Merlin reached for his friend and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Biting back the tears that suddenly threatened, Gwaine cleared his throat and pulled back after a few moments. "So..."

"Well, if you want a ride, you may have to pry Arthur out of the car. I think his knuckles are permanently affixed to the the door handle." He leaned in, and said in a conspiratorial whisper. "You should have heard him squeal like a girl around some of the turns."

Gwaine smiled, but asked in a serious voice. "How's he doing? Are you sure driving was good for his injuries and stuff?"

"Well, I used my magic on him yesterday. Physically, he's fit as ever." Merlin glanced back at the passenger in his car. He seemed to rethink his choice of bringing Arthur for a ride that morning. "Perhaps, I should have had his second time in a vehicle be in something more...tame."

A thought seemed to strike Merlin suddenly. "What are you doing here? I doubt Landry would have approved the use of the Prometheus, just for you to come tell me about your grandfather."

"No...I hitched a ride with an old friend. Found myself in a bit of trouble at work...and with Pops, I...I just needed to get out of there for a couple days."

"Don't mean to be a stick in the mud, but we should probably get off of the road." Mickey commented.

**(*~*)**

"You don't want to get out?" Percival asked, turning around in his seat.

Leon was staring out the tinted window, thankful that those outside couldn't see him. He turned to Percival. "This all seems so odd, like some surreal dream. I think I could face Arthur, more than I could Merlin at this point. I remember how fanatically he searched for the two of you, when you went missing. I can't imagine what he might have done when I disappeared."

Percival nodded his understanding. He could sense the weight of guilt that the Senior Knight carried on his shoulders. He sat quietly in the SUV with Leon and watched the scene outside. Merlin, glanced at Mickey, then turned towards his car. He yelled something at the passenger.

A slightly shaken Arthur climbed out and held himself in a way that made Leon chuckle softly. "I don't think I can ever recall him looking so unnerved, but then again, it has been a long time since I've seen him."

They watched as Arthur seemed to set his nerves aside; a wide grin started blossoming, and a sparkle in the man's eyes made Leon realize that it wasn't just nerves, but also an excited rush of adrenaline. Merlin turned towards Arthur and laughed. Gwaine moved around to the passenger seat and climbed in. Following suit, the warlock sat down behind the wheel and the car roared back to life. With a squeal of tires on the damp asphalt, the green Jaguar sped off in the direction it had come from.

Mickey patted Arthur's shoulder and the two men began heading towards the SUV.

"You should probably get out and say 'hello' to him." Percival commented.

Leon glanced at him, reaching for the latch. "You're probably right."

**(*~*)**

Arthur's heart was still pounding from the exhilarating rush of fear and adrenaline, that he experienced during the car ride. He was partially thankful to be on his own two feet again, without the trees racing past at an obnoxious speed, but he was also already planning for the next time. "That was..."

Mickey laughed, "I know...Well, actually I don't, because he's never taken me out in that car, but he's a maniac driver in general. Although, he knows exactly how to handle the vehicles to make you feel like you're going to die any moment, but it's the greatest rush, almost as if he is out to prove that he is alive. His true passion is probably flying though."

"Flying?"

"Yeah, airplanes."

"I've heard of those, but I've yet to see one."

"They're like great evil beasts, that dominate the skies with their noise." Percival came forward to greet Arthur.

The king, still grinning from ear to ear, just laughed. He was surprised by the next voice he heard. A voice he knew as well as his own, from a man who had known him longer than anyone else.

"They're not that bad, I'm sure. Flying is actually quite a wonderful experience."

"Leon?" Arthur crowed in surprise. "How...? You know, I don't even care how or why!"

Over the centuries, Leon had learned to hide his true emotions behind a facade of bravado and apathy. Nothing, though, could stop the tears that began stinging the corners of his eyes at seeing Arthur alive and well.

**(*~*)**

"I never thought I'd see you again, Sire." Leon said softly, in the backseat.

"If you had asked me, after Camlann, I would have thought the same. Now, however, things seem to be falling into place."

"To what end, though?" It was strange how easily Leon fell back into the role of Arthur's second-in-command, when just a day previous, he was questioning his devotion to his apparent eternal quest. In one aspect, the fact that they were riding along in a motorized vehicle, made him feel the weight of the years upon him. Yet, at the same time, he knew this was what he had been waiting for, and the man he had been, came back to him easily.

"Of that, I am uncertain. Perhaps, with us all here together again, we might be able to figure that out." Arthur patted the knight's shoulder. "No matter. For now, I am just happy to be alive, with my family and close friends by my side, once again."

Leon nodded his agreement. He tried to think of what to say, but he found himself coming up short for conversation.

Arthur seemed to feel the awkwardness of the silence, just as strongly. "I can't thank you enough, you and Merlin, for taking care of Guinevere, after I...Well, I didn't quite die, but it was rather close to it."

Smiling, Leon nodded, "How did you return, or survive? Gwaine explained how he and Percival ended up here. He also said Merlin had lived every year of it, but he didn't tell me how you or Her Ladyship, came to be here."

"I'm still trying to understand it myself." Arthur answered truthfully. Then began recalling his last memories, followed by his brief bouts of semi-consciousness along the way, until he ultimately opened his eyes to see Gwaine after the surgery. Percival and Mickey listened intently from the front of the SUV, both hearing for the first time, Arthur's side of the tale.

"Gwaine, since he wasn't apart from me for as long, has been easier to...speak with...about this stuff. Although, his duties to his native country, have been keeping him rather preoccupied. I've not had much of a chance to speak with Sir Percival here, but I'm hoping that can be remedied, now that I'm back to health."

"I look forward to it, Sire." The large man smiled from the passenger seat.

"Mickey, right?"

"Yep" The dark skinned man in the driver's seat responded.

"I have to say, for my third experience in a...car...you seem much better at controlling one of these things, than that formerly useless servant of mine."

"Formerly useless, or formerly a servant?" Percival asked, with a grin.

"Both."

Percival nodded thoughtfully. "Gwaine mentioned the two of you had a bit of a rough start."

"We just needed a few days to find some common ground and get to know each other again." He cast a pointed glance at Leon. "I hope to be able to do the same with you, my friend."

**(*~*~*~*)**

"You alright?" Merlin asked, as he and Gwaine drove along.

Gwaine had his eyes closed. His elbow hung out the window and he was enjoying the purr of the motor, combined with the cool breeze rushing over his head. "Eh, been a rough week."

Merlin couldn't contain his curiosity. "How did you get over here?"

"As I said, a friend gave me a lift."

"What friend?"

"An old one."

Merlin was tempted to pull the car over and refuse to move it until Gwaine gave him an answer. "I could use magic to have you tell me."

"But you won't." Gwaine started smirking. "Let me drive and then I'll tell ya."

"No."

"Then, you'll never find out."

Glancing sideways at the roguish man, Merlin tried to determine if he was being serious. "I've never let anyone else drive this car...ever."

"Yeah, well..." Gwaine offered Merlin a tight-lipped smile and a shrug.

"No."

"C'mon, I know how to drive Merlin, and I understand how much this thing is worth."

"Do you really? The last one of these that went up for auction, had a nearly two-million dollar price tag on it...and this isn't one of those knock-off kit cars, that go for a couple hundred grand."

"So...what...this one would be about two and a quarter because it's completely original, no restoration?"

Merlin's lips tightened. He groaned and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm even considering it. Do you know who gave me this car?"

"It was a gift? Nice! Was she hot?" Gwaine asked.

The corner of Merlin lip lifted as he remembered the blond, German-born, bombshell. "Very."

"Who was it?"

"Her name was Marlene Déitreich."

Gwaine felt himself choking, "Okay, what do I need to do to drive this? Anything you want, it's yours."

Merlin sighed and muttered a curse, but at the same time, he pulled the car over to the shoulder. "One scratch...one single chip from a rock...a single fingerprint on the steering wheel..."

"...that'll be difficult, unless you want me to drive with my knees?"

Pausing, Merlin reconsidered his words. He stopped the car and set the brake. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this."

Gwaine hooted in triumph and leapt out of the car.

As he tapped his fingers across the steering wheel, third and fourth thoughts crossed his mind. He took the key out of the ignition and got out of the car. Dangling the keys in front of Gwaine's eyes, he asked, "Who?"

Like a cat following a string, Gwaine's eyes watched the keys. "Leon."

Merlin flipped the keys into the cup of his palm. "Bullocks! Who?" He didn't like the feeling that Gwaine was playing with him, with something like this.

"Seriously. Leon. He's got his own ship and has been flying around out in space for the last fifteen hundred years."

"Where is he, then?"

"He was in the SUV with Percival, when Mickey stopped you."

"Why didn't he get out?"

"I think he's afraid of what you're gonna think, like he stranded you here or something. I don't know!" Gwaine threw up his hands in frustration. "Can I have the keys now?"

Merlin bit his lip. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and very reluctantly, he held out the keys. Gwaine snatched them out of his friend's hand with a grin.

The leather of the seat was still supple and well cared for, with nary a crack in it. The light wood and chrome of the steering wheel shone with a beautiful polish. The black material of the dashboard barely had a speck of dust, and no sign of sun damage.

The drove along in silence for a while, before Merlin finally began to speak. "What happened with Pops? I know you said it was the Virus, but do you want to talk about it?"

Gwaine downshifted, as they entered a turn. "He caught it while getting gas at the station. These Ori and their Priors; they've been spreading this Virus, or whatever the hell it is, all over the galaxy. I've been a bit concerned, but now..."

"...Now, it's personal." Merlin finished for him. "We should probably head back to the house."

They had passed the turnoff to Merlin's driveway. When Merlin didn't argue, Gwaine took that as permission to keep going. He slowed the car down, and turned back towards the turnoff. "You haven't asked me any more about Leon."

"What's there to ask?" There was a sharp tone in Merlin's voice. He didn't know what to think yet, with the revelation about his erstwhile friend's situation. Gwaine and Percival didn't have much of a choice, when they were brought through the Stargate into the current century. Arthur, Gwen, and Aurie were in a similar situation. Merlin was at the same time, both thankful and annoyed, at finding out that Leon was still alive...not that he would have changed a thing about his extremely long life. Yet, knowing Leon was out there, also alive, might have made the darker times easier, and the wonderful times better. It would have given him someone to talk to, and to share the memories with. "I'm sure I'll get the answers when he's ready to give them."

"Fair enough."

"Can I tell you something?"

"Anything!"

"Martha and I have decided..."

"What?"

"Well...we're...gonna start trying to have kids."

Gwaine laughed loudly. "That's...wow, that's great!"

"You don't think...it's odd? I mean...I can't die, it seems like. I keep going back and forth in my mind on it. I want to be a father again, but is it really fair to bring kids into the picture when I'm like this?"

"Merlin, buddy, calm down. Any kid is going to be so lucky with the two of you for parents." Gwaine turned onto the driveway.

When Merlin first brought him and Percival here, they had entered from the far side of the property, through a hidden gate that was Merlin's personal shortcut.

Afterwards, they had soon learned about the actual paved driveway, the manor house, and all the outlying buildings. However, they had all been too busy getting ready for the wedding, for Gwaine to get a chance to find out much more about what Merlin had around the property.

He carefully drove the classic car up to the manor, noticing that in their detour, the Torchwood SUV had beaten them. Merlin held his breath, as Gwaine pulled the Jag into the garage. He released it when the engine was turned off, and brake set. "See, not a smudge!"

Gwaine helped Merlin store the car properly, while eyeing the other tarped vehicles.

"Maybe later, I'll show you what's under them."

Clucking his tongue in disappointment, he followed Merlin outside and towards the front of the manor, where the others had been standing around.

Merlin stopped and glared at Leon. He wasn't sure if he was upset that the knight disappeared in the first place, or that he had lived for centuries thinking that he was just another friend lost.

**(*~*~*~*)**

The long drive up from the road, wound through manicured lawn and hedges. The large greystone manor house loomed ahead.

"It is so hard to believe that the castle used to be here." Arthur commented, more to himself than any of the other men in the car.

Leon sat quietly. He had visited Earth a few times, in the course of his travels. Each time, it had been brief and he had avoided any of the lands around Camelot. It was heart-wrenching to see the area where he was born and raised, so changed over the years.

As if reading his thoughts, Percival commented, "Away from the house and gardens, much of the land actually appears much like it did in the sixth century. I mean it's obviously different, but..."

"I understand." The elder knight stated.

Pulling up in front of the house, they were greeted by Gwen and Cassie. Arthur had barely taken two steps from the vehicle, when his wife began to admonish him for not telling her that he was leaving...until she saw the other person step out of the back of the large, black SUV. Gasping, her hands flew to her mouth with a squeal of delight. She thought nothing of rushing forward and engulfing Leon in a hug.

Leon returned the gesture, somewhat hesitant at first, glancing at Arthur for permission.

The king nodded slightly. He had been told that Leon and Merlin had spent nearly two years with Gwen, after Camlann. So, it made sense that she considered them close friends. On top of that, Guinevere had already known Leon from a very young age.

"I knew you would return to us, somehow." The queen smiled through her tears.

From Cassie's arms, Aurie began writhing and struggling to be put down. She did, and the toddler, holding onto her fingers, made a few tentative steps towards the knight. "Yon, Yon!" He babbled out.

He stood frozen, watching the boy wobble and bounce. Aurie's hazel-blue eyes shone with familiarity upon Leon. The man swallowed, unaware of the eyes of the others upon him. Letting go of Cassie's fingers, the boy propelled himself forward. Instinct alone, caused Leon to sweep the child into his arms before he fell to the ground. "Look at you, my little Prince. Walking already." The knight's voice was filled with love and pride.

Arthur's smile, unseen by the others, faltered. He felt a stab of emotion course through him. It occurred to the former king, that Leon had been more of a father to the young prince, than he himself had been. His own feelings caught him by surprise. He knew he should be grateful that Leon and Merlin had been there for Gwen, when he was not able to be.

He was shaken from his thoughts as Merlin's car pulled up nearby, with Gwaine behind the wheel. His eyes narrowed at how comfortable the two of them appeared together. Glancing around at everyone, Arthur suddenly felt rather alone. Large fingers patted his shoulder, startling him.

Percival smiled down at him. "It'll take time to adjust, Sire. You just got back on your feet, and the reason we are all here, is for you. Don't forget that."

"When did you become wise, Sir Percival?"

The bigger man shrugged. The two of them looked back over at the gathering to see Merlin glaring daggers, and Leon putting on a front of sheer boredom.

Merlin appeared to come to some sort of decision. He walked forward, gave Leon a smile that did little to thaw the icy stare of his eyes. Politely, he said, "Glad to have you back with us, Sir Leon."

"Thank you, Lord Merlin." The blond knight replied with equal formality.

The warlock turned and walked up the stairs, leaving everyone else standing on the pavement below. Arthur suddenly didn't feel as guilty for his touch of jealousy. He knew, logically, that it had more to do with his own regret than anything...but he obviously wasn't the only one feeling a slight sting, from the knight's sudden return.

* * *

_Thanks as always to Nance and IcarusLSU for proofing and beta reading!_

_Responses: Wow! 10 of you this time! YIPEE! I know I said the 200th reviewer would get a special treat...but it was one of my beta's so he can just deal. LOL_

_Solojoh: (on chap 1 and 3) Thanks!_

_AwanderdersHaven: I love that you're so impatient! thanks! And things will start coming together end of next chapter :)_

_TiP: Thanks! hehe yeah poor Arthur. Merlin seemed to get such a rush from flying on Kilgharrah, it gave me inspiration for his love of fast things._

_IcarusLSU: Jag BMW :P_

_CarolynneRuth: You are going to go nuts next chapter I'm sure! LOL just wait til you read the lines I have in that one._

_Tholey: Answered the Fleece Pants at the top, needless to say you had me scrambling wondering what the heck I was talking about LOL_

_Nance: hehe I love your reviews when you finally get to read the chapters put together, and you're not just seeing snippets for editing._

_denique: Thank you so much! Hope you continue to enjoy it!_

_LinBates: This one and the next are a bit longer, so hopefully they won't fly by as fast as Merlin drives his car!_

_Flamie: Here ya go girl, I know you've been waiting for the next chapter!_

_Aeirst: Yes you must...when you get back from your cruise!...no she's not pregnant yet lol_

_Anyhoo, thank you all for reading it makes me so giddy to have you guys review!_

_Next chapter should be up by Saturday at the latest!_


	31. Part 3: Chapter 8

_"The first time her laughter unfurled its wings in the wind, we knew that the world would never be the same."_

_― Brian Andreas_

* * *

The cool drizzle felt good against the bare skin on his back. His forearms rested on the balcony and he inhaled the damp night air deeply. Shaking his head, he tried once again to clear his thoughts.

Delicate fingers traced down his spine and he shivered violently from the unexpected touch.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

He smiled and turned around, sweeping Martha into a hug. He kissed her passionately.

Pulling back, her brown eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

"When did you get home?"

"Just a bit ago. There appears to be a party going on downstairs, so why are you up here sulking?"

"I'm not sulking. I was thinking, and meditating."

She took a moment to look deep into the dark blue pools of his iris'. Martha asked,"What's going on?"

"I've told you about the hole I've always felt inside me." She nodded and brushed her fingers along his jaw. "I thought once Arthur returned, that it would heal. For so long, I have been able to keep it in the background; always there, but never in the way. It never interfered with my life and how I wanted to live it.

"...I can feel it growing." He turned away from her, to stare out over the darkened moor.

"What do you mean?" Martha's voice was laced with concern.

"When I had teleported with Gwaine and Percival over here, I felt a bit exhausted after the spell. I chalked it up to the fact that I've rarely travelled so far, and with more than one person. Plus, it didn't seem to hinder my magic after that. I was able to teleport in the SGC, by myself, with no issues whatsoever.

" When I tried to heal Arthur, though, and there was that reaction to the radiation...or whatever it was...I felt like something was trying to break through...as if there was a creature living inside that hole, gnawing at the edges. Ever since then, each time I draw on my magic, it feels like there is just a little bit less available to me.

"I shouldn't be feeling fatigued, even with the healing I did manage to accomplish. Things like that...yes, I would use energy, but I should also feel invigorated from it."

"You said you slept for nearly twelve hours after I left." She commented, her physician's mind working.

He nodded, "I dreamt, and it was vivid. I saw the web of fate, or destiny...whatever it was that came to me just before I cast the recent spell on Arthur. Then, I was back in China, just after Ning died...and the firework shot off towards the stars and turned into a dragon...not the Chinese style, but the western style. It flew into the stars, and the trail it left was similar to one I saw very faintly in the web."

Her hand rubbed circles on his back in a comforting manner.

"...and then, to have Leon suddenly come back today..."

"I met him downstairs, and Gwaine told me about his grandfather. You should really go down and speak with them."

"Naw, I'm not ready for that yet."

"So you're just planning on hiding out here all night?"

"Pretty much."

"Why?"

He shook his head, a lecherous grin forming. He turned towards her, pulled her in tightly, and began suckling her neck. His nimble fingers loosened the buttons of her blouse. "Because, I don't want to talk to them right now." Merlin breath was hot against her skin.

Martha's breath came haltingly as her shirt fell to the floor, and her husband continued kissing his way down to her shoulder and collarbone. She felt the slickness of his skin across his back, her hands kneading against the tight, lean muscles. "I obviously don't need to ask what you do want to do..."

**(*~*~*~*)**

Soft music from a horned instrument filtered out of the bright kitchen. It echoed off the marble counters and the white, tiled floors. A woman's voice, sultry, seductive and raspy, sang with the jazz accompaniment. Arthur took a moment to chuckle softly to himself as the scene before him played out. Merlin and Martha were swaying together to the tune, while the sound of coffee percolated in the background.

_'The difficult, I'll do right now. The impossible, will take a little while...'_

Merlin whispered something into his wife's ear. She, in turn, giggled and slapped his shoulder, causing him to laugh. It was an unusual scene for Arthur to see, but he felt a smile forming, knowing that his friend was, for once, truly happy. That alone was something Arthur had hardly ever witnessed.

He had seen Merlin smile, and enjoy himself in the past, but this rare glimpse into a life beyond Merlin's prior servitude, astounded him. He wondered if that was how he looked, when he was alone with Guinevere.

_'Crazy, he calls me. Sure, I'm crazy, crazy in love...am I.'_

He felt a presence behind him and turned to see Leon standing by, also watching the scene of domestic bliss. The look on the knight's face was unreadable.

"I'm sure you've experienced plenty of love yourself, throughout all your years." Arthur commented quietly.

Leon tore his eyes away from the scene. "Not really. I never stayed in one place long enough."

"All those centuries alone? I can't imagine what it must have been like."

The knight shrugged, "It wasn't that bad. I found plenty of companionship when I needed to. Nothing like what he has, obviously. It reminds me of seeing him with Princess Mithian.

The song had changed to something a bit more upbeat. Merlin and Martha's bodies separated. Only their hands were still together, as he spun her around and then back in close to him.

"I still can't believe he married Mithian." Arthur laughed softly.

Smirking, Leon nodded, "I thought it was odd at first, but after seeing them together, they were quite the couple. I, personally, can't believe Gwaine is their descendant."

Arthur's eyebrows pinched together and he looked at Leon, attempting to discern if the knight was joking. "You're not kidding, are you?"

"Um...no." He was surprised that Arthur didn't already know this. "Gwaine's sister told me. I find it rather interesting that Merlin's children with Mithian were named Blasine and Gawain, and here we are fifteen centuries later and you have Elaine and Gwaine...both names derived from their ancestors."

Snorting softly, the king nodded, "I don't know if that surprises me as much as finding out they're related, period. It definitely explains a lot of things."

"Doesn't it, though?"

"Mmm, I smell coffee!" Mickey Smith's voice came loudly from behind them. "Morning." He said to Arthur and Leon, as he passed them and made his way into the kitchen.

Merlin and Martha looked up, realizing their private moment had come to an end.

"Don't stop on my account." The young man said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Just make yourself at home." Merlin commented dryly, and squeaked when he received a poke in his ribcage. Martha laughed, pulling away from him.

The warlock smiled. He lifted his eyes to the doorway and noticed the two men still standing there. Merlin stared at them both. A bit of unease plagued his thoughts for a moment. He took a breath and the smile returned. "You two may as well join us and quit acting like a couple of voyeurs, gawking there in the doorway."

"Yeah, you heard him. Quit gawking." Gwaine chuckled, as he and Percival entered the room.

Within a few minutes, the kitchen was filled with life as Guinevere joined the rest, with Aurie bouncing on her hip. With all the people around, the conversation was kept light, and Merlin was thankful he didn't have to try and discuss anything with Leon yet. Leon appeared to have the same feelings, and avoided talking to the warlock, as well.

"Jack and the others should be here soon." Mickey commented, drinking down his coffee.

Merlin's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "Why are they coming?"

"Well, when we were all talking last night, Arthur mentioned something about wanting to go hunting out in the woods, because he said you all used to do that for fun. I thought, instead of hunting any of the critters out there, we could paint the forest instead...and well, Torchwood has paintball gear for morale purposes."

"I really don't understand what correlation there could be between 'painting the trees' and hunting." Arthur said. When Mickey had mentioned the idea the evening before, Percival and Gwaine seemed to become rather excited by the prospect, while Leon and Arthur were left pondering their confusion. "It seems like a very girly thing to do."

"About like poetry." Leon mumbled into his hand, receiving a glare from Arthur.

Merlin nodded thoughtfully, ignoring the king's last statement. "That sounds like a right good idea. Torchwood versus Camelot?"

"And no using magic!" Mickey warned.

"Aw...that takes all the fun out of it." Merlin stubbed his toe against the ground in an adolescent pout.

Not too long after, Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, and Gwen Cooper came through the kitchen door. "Good morning, children! I brought toys!" Harkness called out, holding up a couple large duffle bags of gear.

Merlin gave Jack a tight-lipped smile. He would tolerate the man for his wife and his friends, but he still didn't have to like him. He turned towards Arthur, hearing the king taking a sharp breath in.

"What is it?"

The blond man was looking directly at Gwen Cooper. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't seem to find the words.

"Ye might want ta close yer trap, before you start catchin' flies, eh?" The dark-haired Welsh woman said, with a smile.

"Merlin...she looks just like..."

Gasping, it finally dawned on him as to why Gwen Cooper had always seemed rather familiar to him. Before, he had dismissed it as nothing more than a vague coincidence that she resembled someone from his past, whom he could never place. Now, though, he looked upon her with different eyes. "Lady Helen of Mora."[1]

Leon glanced at the two men, and his eyes widened as he turned towards the woman. He chuckled and nodded, "She is the spitting image."

"Um...one of you boys like to tell me what's going on?"

"You look just like a woman who tried to kill Arthur." Guinevere responded for them, when she realized the three men weren't going to answer.

Gwen rolled her eyes and offered a tight-lipped grin. "Well, isn't that just the bee's knees!"

"Actually, more like the woman who was killed by someone, who then took on her looks as a disguise, in order to try and kill Arthur, after her own son was beheaded on my first day in Camelot." Merlin corrected.

"What?" Arthur's attention was now trained on Merlin.

The warlock rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "My first day in Camelot was the beginning of the celebrations for when Kilgharrah...the Great Dragon..." He offered, for those who didn't know the name. "...was captured. I walk into the city to see a man beheaded, and an old crone cursing Uther for killing her son."

"What an introduction!" Gwaine laughed, "No wonder you kept your head down."

"Tell me about it! Anyway, after a couple days in and out of the stocks for insulting a rightfully royal prat..."

"Merlin..."

"Well, you were! Don't even think about denying it. I'm sure Gwen and Leon will back me up on that account...Guinevere, not Gwen..." He stated to differentiate between the two women.

The queen nodded her head, while spooning mashed fruit into her son's mouth. "I have to say, he is right, Arthur. You were a bit...spoiled...back then."

Leon snickered behind his hand. "Sorry, Sire."

Arthur rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath, before motioning to Merlin. "Please continue your story."

"Anyway, I was in and out of the stocks for insulting him. Oh, and thrown in the dungeon...but then, Gaius arranged for me to work with...Oh, I can't remember his name. Your other servant at the time..."

"Why do you think I would remember his name? I went through a servant a week back then!" He noticed Merlin gaping at him. "Shut up, Merlin."

Merlin's mouth shut with a snap.

"Are you going to continue your tale?" Gwaine asked.

"Well, I would, but someone told me to shut up." He was too busy chuckling to notice the hand coming up behind him to smack the back of his head. "Ow! Okay, you got lucky with that one."

Arthur smirked triumphantly.

"May I finish now?" He waited for Arthur to nod. "The Lady Helen, of the Isle of Mora, was scheduled to perform at a feast. At some point the old crone must have killed the real Lady Helen, and taken her place in the castle. I took her a tonic for her voice, and found a magic book and a poppet, in her chambers...which was odd, but..." He shrugged and rambled on. "I was new. I knew it didn't feel right, but what was I to say! So...when she was performing at the feast, something in her voice was casting a very old magic that put nearly everyone to sleep.

"I covered my ears, but it didn't seem to affect me anyway, and I used my magic to drop the chandelier. Then, as people started waking up, she threw a dagger, and my instinct took over and pulled this cabbage head out of the way."

Leon laughed, "I remember that! That was the night Uther decided your reward would be to have a position as Arthur's manservant."

Despite the awkwardness the day before, Merlin found himself chuckling along with his long lost friend. "Some reward, eh?"

Arthur stared off in thought. "That was the first time you saved me, with your magic, wasn't it?"

Fathomless blue eyes turned towards the king. "The first, yes...but by no means was it the last, old friend. I just wish I could have saved you at Camlann."

"Merlin, none of us would be here now, if you had." Gwaine smiled and reminded him. "...and you gotta think, you had a pretty amazing track record for keeping his ass intact."

Turning back to Gwen, Merlin concluded his story. "So...I guess I never noticed, but you look just like the Lady Helen."

"That's...well...I right don't know how to describe it." Gwen bit her lip. This wasn't the first time she had been accused of looking like someone from the past.[2]

"Just don't sing for us, Gwen, and it'll be all good." Ianto implored to her.

Mickey grabbed one of the duffle bags and began pulling out gear. "'Bout time we got dressed and head out to the forest, yeah? Teams of four or five?

"We have enough for five each. Percival, which team are you going to be on?" Merlin asked, moving forward to grab a padded chest piece. He tossed it over to Arthur.

"With you guys, of course!" He cringed and glanced at his friends from Torchwood. "Sorry..."

"Nothing to be sorry for, my friend!" Jack grinned, "That just means I get two beautiful ladies on my team. Right, Martha?" He winked at her and she nodded her agreement. He smiled at Ianto, who stood quietly in the background. "...A very handsome man...and of course, Mickey Mouse."

Arthur grimaced. He eyed the vest suspiciously and looked over to find that Leon seemed as lost as he was, about the entire scenario. "Will someone please explain what the hell it is we're doing?"[3]

**(*~*~*~*)**

Fingers rested gingerly on the triggers, as the five men crept forward. Arthur instinctively took up the lead, the three knights and the warlock fell into position without question. The king smiled. He felt a measure of true pride course through him, as he realized this would be the first time with Merlin openly fighting at his side.

He knew that the servant had always been there before, but the younger man had always been somewhat of an oddity among them, who Arthur always felt needed protecting. Now, though, with no longer needing to hide who he was, the centuries of experience were very telling of the man he had become. Just as Arthur had realized, not so very long ago, Merlin had changed. Now the heart of the warrior within him, once hidden away, was there for all to see.

In practiced silence, they moved forward through the trees. The rush of adrenaline coursed through their veins. Once the rules of engagement had been explained to Arthur, and he was given a chance to practice with the new weapon, he found himself grinning like a madman, ready and eager for the promised confrontation.

Leon's return to his side felt right. That was the only way Arthur was able to describe it. Merlin had been vague in his recollection of what had happened to the knight who was Arthur's second-in-command. It had felt like a part of him was missing, without the steady countenance of the wise nobleman. Leon had changed. They all had, if he was to be honest, but even despite those changes and Arthur's recent bout of emotions, the king was glad to have the knight there with him.

Percival, having been the only one other than Arthur...born so long ago and then suddenly thrust into this new era...had adapted well. It gave hope to Arthur that he would be able to come fully to terms with it himself. The large man's presence behind him, gave him a confidence he didn't know if he could have attained otherwise.

He was actually more surprised by Gwaine, than any of the others. The roguish knight, who couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut on patrols in the past was still there, but Arthur noted how much more natural the air rifle appeared in the man's hands. Now, at home in his own time, the true soldier characteristic of the man shone through brightly, and Arthur found himself learning more about his friend than he ever dreamed existed, beneath the shallow, drunken exterior. Gwaine easily pushed past the emotion of his recent loss and focused, more than Arthur had ever known him to, on the task at hand.

Along the way, Arthur had motioned to Gwaine to take the point position, relying on the man's expertise in this style of war game. Gwaine held up his hand in a closed fist. A common signal to stop. Pointing with two fingers to his eyes, he then pointed to different areas of the forest. Arthur almost laughed, but bit his lip to remain silent.

Hand signals had been used in various combat situations from the beginning of time, but when Gwaine joined with Arthur and the knights, the roguish man had introduced some new ones to the group. At first, the king had scoffed, thinking many of the signals to be the work of a drunken madman. However, they soon became standard practice among the Knights of Camelot. Now, of course, Arthur understood a bit more about where they came from, and he appreciated the useful skill, more than he would ever express.

With bated breath, they waited for the king's approval of their silently transmitted plan. With a wicked gleam in his eye and a slight nod of his head, Arthur gave the signal.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Guinevere sat looking out the window, off in the direction where the rest had gone. They had offered for her to go along, but she declined, wishing to spend the day with her son...Also, the prospect of seeing them all shoot at each other, when she had so recently gotten her husband back, didn't sit well with her.

"They'll be fine." Cassie said, coming up to sit next to the queen. "I've played Paintball before, other than some bruises and welts, it's really rather harmless."

"Mmm, I'll take your word for it." Taking a breath, Guinevere turned toward the girl. "What do you plan on doing now? I know you came over here to help care for Arthur, during his recovery, but now that he's healed, will you be returning to the States?"

Cassie nodded. She hadn't gotten a chance to experience much of the UK, and although she wanted to, the young nurse knew she needed to head home. "I would love to stay, but I have a feeling I'm going to be more useful back home now."

Guinevere nodded her understanding. Her eyes turned back toward the window, just in time to see ten people...who, when they had left, were all wearing the dark body armor and clothing...coming onto the lawn, now covered head-to-toe in a rainbow of colors.

"I think I'll go let Harri know, her washer is going to be getting a nice workout tonight." Cassie said with a laugh.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Laughter and merriment rang through the halls of the manor house. Beer, and other drinks, flowed freely. Everyone had been given the opportunity to shower and clean up, after the day of fun in the woods.

What ages ago, would have been a hunting trip to bond with the knights, had turned into something even more magical. Bonds of long lost friendship were renewed, refreshed and rejuvenated.

_Merlin and Leon had stood alone at the end. Together, they took down the last remnants of the Torchwood team, Mickey and Jack...only to return to the rendezvous point and be assaulted with the remainder of the paint, leftover in all the others' weapons from the day._

_They had trailed behind the rest, back towards the house, looking like a couple of dripping, overflowing paint palettes. Merlin had finally broached the question that had been plaguing him since the day before. "What happened to you?"_

_Leon steeled himself to answer, "I should have died, on that bloodied field in France, but Lancelot came to me...He's still, sort of alive, you know..._

_"Yes. I've spoken with him recently, but I haven't told Arthur about him yet."_

_Nodding, the knight continued, "I was told of my own destiny that had begun when the druids gave me the water from the Cup of Life. Did you know, that drinking directly from the vessel, grants a sort of immortality?"_

_"No, I didn't." Merlin said thoughtfully._

_"It's not magic either, but a technology beyond even the Asgard's understanding. I was given a quest and sent to the stars. I didn't know you still lived. I'm sorry, my friend."_

_Merlin thought for a few moments and shook his head. ""No, I guess you wouldn't have. It wasn't until after you disappeared, that Mithian and I recognized I hadn't aged. I never drank from the Cup though, so I don't know how or why I managed to survive.. I suppose I can forgive you then, for never coming by...never calling...never asking to borrow my Tupperware..."_

_"I should have." Leon paused, "What is Tupperware?"_

_Laughing, Merlin held out his hand. A wide smile beamed from his face. His eyes held no hint of resentment, only warmth. "Well, you'll know better for next time, right?"_

_Leon couldn't stop the smile that graced his own face. He clasped Merlin's forearm. The colors of the paint splotches mixed together._

"...as I came to...with this big lug standing over me, shaking me a bit...all I could think about, after seven years of being away, was the freaking Wizard of Oz." Gwaine laughed heartily.

"...and we weren't in Kansas. I know that now." Percival mentioned. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, as Gwaine gave him a questioning look. He shrugged innocently, "What? I love that movie."

"It's one of his favorites!" Gwen smiled and laughed. "My husband, Rhys, got him hooked on it."

"Makes me wonder what would have happened to Morgana if we ever threw water on her." Gwaine chuckled.

Merlin laughed, "Well, there were a few times I did try to bring the house...or castle, as it were...down on her. We all saw how that _didn't_ exactly work."

Guinevere began nervously biting the side of her thumb. "You don't think she's going to suddenly appear again, do you?"

"You keep chewing like that and you won't have a thumb left. Then, we'll have to call you Stubby." Mickey accused her, with a roll of his eyes. He had Merlin's laptop in front of him, attempting to work out the linguistics program for deciphering the files. He was only half paying attention to the conversation.

"What did you say?" The former queen asked, her brown eyes widening.

Leon stared at the young man, his mouth open. "Elyan?" He whispered.

Mickey blinked and looked around at the others, all staring at him. "What?"

Guinevere wasn't able to respond. She licked her lips, and blinked away a few glistening tears. The young man was not her brother. She knew that, but how he could have known something so personal, she couldn't fathom.

"Her brother, Elyan, used to say that to her. He and I were good friends when we were young. He was with me, when I was being tutored for swordplay one day, and Guinevere was perhaps seven or eight. She stopped by to watch and became concerned I was going to injure him."

Guinevere brushed back her dark curls and smiled softly at Mickey. "For the next two weeks, both Leon and Elyan saw fit to call me nothing but 'Stubby.'"

"Until your father caught wind of it and gave us both a good ars...uh...chewing out." A chuckle was shared at the memory.

"'Worn-out garments are shed by the body. Worn out bodies are shed by the dweller. Within the body; new bodies are donned by the dweller, like garments.'"[4] He said, paraphrasing a quote he had learned years before. "Every life there is something new, something needed, something to learn." Merlin's voice permeated the room with the wisdom of his words.

"That was beautiful, Merlin." Arthur commented with a straight face, which soon twisted into something resembling confusion. True to form, the king had to break the peace that had descended upon them. "What the hell does it mean?"

The room burst into laughter. Merlin shook his head and groaned, "It means, that it is possible Mickey here, was Elyan in a former life."

Arthur gave the dark man a crooked, disbelieving smirk, that was more of a grimace.

"Wait, that means I was a knight in a former life? That is wicked cool! Mickey Smith, Defender of Earth, Knight of the Round Table, and all around Tin-Dog."[5]

"Tin-Dog?" Gwaine questioned.

Jack and Martha groaned in unison, "Don't ask!"

"So...how does that wisdom apply to those of us who can't die?" Jack asked, curious.

Merlin rolled his eyes.

Jack whined, "Oh, come on! This is getting old, Merlin. I haven't even made one pass at you today. I've been a good boy."

"It's not your sexuality I have a problem with. It's your bloody name." Merlin stated in exasperation.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The leader of Torchwood asked.

"It's not yours!" Taking a breath, Merlin sank down on a settee next to Martha. "I was a pilot for the RAF in World War II. One of my assignments, early on, was working with the American volunteers out of Cardiff. I knew the real Captain Jack Harkness. He was a friend and fellow pilot, and I was also friends with his girlfriend. I never saw him so happy as the night you danced with him...Then, the next day he was shot down. Afterwards, I found out that someone had taken his name..." The warlock waved his hand at Jack accusingly.

Jack looked truly stunned, upon hearing this. He hung his head and nodded his understanding. When he first came to Earth, in the 1940's...after escaping custody and fleeing his own fifty-first century life with the Time Agency...he had taken the name of a deceased serviceman as part of his con to exploit alien technology to the highest bidder. He then met the Doctor, a Time Lord, who saved his life. Later, during his travels with the Doctor, and his companion at the time, Rose Tyler...who had been Mickey's girlfriend one time...Jack died. Rose, in an attempt to save the Doctor, touched the heart of the Time Vortex within the TARDIS. The energy she sent out also brought Jack back to life...with an unexpected side effect. He was no longer able to permanently die. [6]

After an error in a time jump, and Jack found himself stuck in 1869. By 1899, he had begun coming to terms with his immortality. He was propositioned by Torchwood, to either be used as an experiment, so they could discover the nature of his condition, or to work with them. Although he didn't agree with their methods, he decided it was better to work with them and change things from the inside. He had now spent over a full century at Torchwood Three. _"A fixed point in time..."_ Is what the Doctor called him after that.

More recently, another skip through time took Jack back to 1941, where he finally met the man whose name he borrowed [7].

"So you see, it's got nothing to do with what you are, or what you prefer. It's the name." Merlin explained, "Petty and childish, I know...especially having lived for so long myself...but he was a friend."

"Speaking of World War II..." Gwaine sat forward and grabbed another beer off the table, trying to ease the tension between the two men. "Pops wanted me to tell you...well, your 'grandfather'...'Thanks.'"

"For what?" Merlin asked, curious.

Gwaine told his grandfather's story, about his experience of getting lost, after the D-Day Invasion of Normandy. The rest listened with rapt attention.

Merlin chuckled, "I don't even really remember that. I recall being shot down and I had quite a concussion from the crash. I couldn't tell you who it was who found me. For most of the trek out of there, I was focused on using my magic to NOT heal me, so I didn't scare whoever it was who found me."

"That is so very you, Merlin. Even on death's door, you always think of others first." Guinevere reached forward and squeezed his hand. "I remember speaking with Lancelot, before he sacrificed himself to stop the Dorocha. It wasn't long after the Round Table was formed. I was thanking him for coming back when we needed him, to help retake Camelot from Morgana. He said something rather odd, about how there was someone who deserved recognition more than he...someone else who Arthur should have knighted that evening in the ancient castle. I knew, after Camlann, it was you."

Sighing, Arthur shook his head. He gave Merlin a pointed look. "If I had a kingdom or a sword...I believe I would do just that." Before his words could settle, he asked, "How do you guys do it?"

"What do you mean?" Merlin questioned.

"How have the three of you lived for so long, and not gone stark raving mad?" Arthur asked.

Jack, Leon, and Merlin all looked at each other. "I think, it's been different for each of us...especially since I haven't lived as long as these two." Jack finally answered, "Not giving up hope, and surrounding yourself with people who accept you." He met the eyes of each member of Torchwood, including Martha in his glance.

"Having a purpose." Leon said softly. "Each time I felt I was on the verge of losing that hope, an old friend would show up, and help guide me back."

"Finding love. Even though I know I will outlive them each and every time...it hurts, but it's worth it." Merlin squeezed his wife's hand.[8]

They all sat in silence, contemplating the words of the three men.

"What purpose are you talking about?" Percival asked Leon.

The ancient knight smiled. From the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow of a figure he knew all too well, grinning from a darkened doorway. "I'll be back in a minute, and I'll show you." Leon announced softly.

Gwaine snorted, as he watched Leon disappear in the teleportation beam. Unsure of how the reunion would have played out, Leon had left the sword in the secret hold inside his spaceship. "I need to ask him, if he can help transport Pops' body to Wyoming for the burial." He said suddenly, reality coming back to him.

"I've got a friend with a plane I can borrow, to get us all over there...if you don't mind us all crashing the party. It might be a bit more believable than teleporting your grandfather, especially since I don't think Leon would want to be known by the SGC, or any of the other organizations out there."

Smiling, Gwaine thanked his friend. "That would be great." The roguish man turned to Percival. "Think we can get you on a plane, if Merlin's flying it?"

The large man's eyes widened and he gulped. He looked at Merlin. "You would be controlling it?"

Merlin laughed, "Yes, I would, and we'd all be there for you. Neither Arthur nor Guinevere have flown either, so you'll have each other's fear to feed off of..." He glanced at the floor, a foul look on his face, and reconsidered his words. "...maybe that wouldn't be such a good thing."

"I can always give you a mild sedative, if we need it." Martha offered.

The blue, glowing light from the transporter reappeared in the room. Leon materialized in front of their eyes, and in his hands was a long, cloth-wrapped item. With a serious countenance, the knight stepped towards Arthur, who stood, eyeing the object with curiosity. Leon knelt before his king, and presented Arthur with the item.

His hands trembled, as he removed the cloth. Gold and steel glittered under the artificial lighting. Arthur's breath was stolen away when he realized what it was. "My sword..."

"You bloody wanker!" Merlin spouted at the knight. "All those years I spent searching for it, and you had it?! The nerve!"

"Shut up, Merlin." Arthur said automatically, the laughter bubbling through his words.

Leon stood up with a throaty chuckle and shrugged nonchalantly at Merlin.

The warlock huffed indignantly. "You could have at least told me, and we could have worked together on this part of things." He stood up and walked over to a painting, grumbling under his breath about his plans being messed up and the right timing for things. Pulling the large frame of the painting aside, he revealed a safe, hidden in the panel behind it. He unlocked it with a code and his thumb scan, and withdrew a scroll. Moving back to Arthur he pointed it towards Leon accusingly, knowing the king's eyes were following it. "Seriously, it would have been nice to have a heads up about the damned sword."

The king reached for the scroll, not understanding what it was, but his curiosity was burning. Merlin pulled it upwards, away from Arthur's hand suddenly. "One condition." He stated firmly, turning towards the king. He lowered the scroll and Arthur tried to take it again. Merlin moved it out of reach. "My room, is still my room. You don't touch it, you don't change it."

The rolled parchment came down again, and the king stretched out his hand to receive it, only to have it moved away a third time. "Two conditions! I get to keep the garage with my cars."

"What the hell are you talking about, you idiot?" The game was frustrating Arthur, as Merlin mimicked his own movements a fourth time.

"Three conditions! You are not allowed to drive them..."

"Bloody hell!" Gwen laughed, everyone in the room was curious about the contents of the scroll. "Just give it to him already. Enough with the Spanish Inquisition!"[9]

A chorus of voices permeated the room. "...Because nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

Merlin was caught up in the laughter and missed Arthur's arm wrapping around his neck in a choke hold. He fought to keep the scroll away from the king, unsuccessfully, as they fought each other. It was obvious, to Arthur at least, that Merlin allowed him to eventually win the scuffle.

With the scroll firmly in his grasp, he unrolled it. The king's eyes widened as he scanned it. "Merlin...this is...?" He found himself unable to finish.

"The deed to the estate...Your estate, Arthur. Camelot...well, what is left of it...is yours."

He couldn't speak. Arthur was completely flabbergasted by the gesture. Fighting against the overwhelming flood of emotion, he grabbed Merlin and drew him into a tight hug. Merlin lost his own composure and returned the embrace wholeheartedly.

Pushing his friend back, he ordered, "On your knees, Merlin."

The warlock looked ready to protest, "Arthur, you really..."

"Will you just shut up and humor me!"

With a wry grin, Merlin finally complied.

Arthur took his sword and began to bring it down.

"FOUR conditions!"

"Good grief, Merlin! What now?"

"You don't touch anything in the old vaults, without asking me first."

"What old vaults?"

"Oh, just the ones that were under the castle that your father kept all the treasure in. There's still some magical stuff down there, and I don't need to have you come back from near death, only to have you do something...like release the goblin...who's probably rather pissed that I still haven't let him out..."[10]

Guinevere squealed, "The goblin is still there?"

"Yeah, unless he died, which I highly doubt. 'Creature of magic' and all that...Nasty little buggers, they are...kind of like fairies."

The members of Torchwood gave a collective groan. Gwen's nose wrinkled, "Those things are vicious! I hope ne'er to see another one. Stealing away poor children, and all that."[11]

"You've seen a fairy?" Merlin asked, turning towards her.

Arthur's thought process was caught a step behind the rest of the conversation. "The vaults are still intact?"

"Uh...yep." Merlin responded cheekily.

Arthur released a heavy breath and shook his head. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Can't think of anything offhand, Sire." Merlin chirped.

"Good, then let me do this quickly, before I change my mind." He raised the sword and brought it down on Merlin's shoulder. "For all you have done, my friend, there are no words to express how grateful I am to you. The guidance you gave me. The friendship you shared. Everything you did for my kingdom, even if it went against your very nature and beliefs. You stood strong at my side, and your belief in me was more than I was ever worthy of. I dub thee, Sir Merlin, Knight of Camelot."

The sword passed over Merlin's head on the last words and he looked up at his king. His vision glazed over with unshed tears. The golden runes etched on the blade shimmered, and drew Merlin's sight in a hypnotic dance.

He gasped. The ceremony of knighthood was immediately pushed to the back of his mind, as he finally realized a piece to pattern of the language on the computer file. "Take me up. Cast me away..." He breathed, "Arthur, may I see your sword?"

The king was taken aback by the sudden change. He floundered for a second, before coming to the conclusion that his friend hadn't really changed as much as he had thought. "This is why I never knighted you in the first place! You realize that? It wasn't because I didn't want to, but I knew you couldn't sit still long enough for it, and that was a short ceremony. Just for...Oh...forget it." He threw up his left hand in defeat and held the sword out, amidst nervous chuckles from the rest.

Merlin nearly swooned when his palm touched the hilt. A tidal wave of warmth and power flowed through him. It fed into a fire that was nearly ash, deep inside his being, stoking it to life with a simple breath.

Arthur's eyes narrowed in concern, he glanced at his wife for confirmation. The way she sat forward and chewed on her bottom lip, told him that she saw it as well. "Are you alright?"

He felt absolutely giddy from the magic in the blade. For so long, he had nearly forgotten what dragon's magic felt like. The empty abyss that he had admitted to Martha about, was still there, but it seemed to be placated for the time being...no longer the seeping wound it had recently become. A twittering giggle escaped him. "Yeah. Yes...better than I have been in a long, long time. Mickey...the language in the translation...don't worry about most of it. It's probably just gibberish, meant to deter anyone trying to comprehend it. Focus on the bits containing runes like these..."

He pointed to the embossed runes. "Take me up. Cast me away. It's the dragon language. This is the only time I have ever seen it."

Mickey shrugged and began revising his program.

"Well, that makes sense, since there aren't any dragons anymore, right?" Gwaine snickered.

Merlin bit his tongue and shifted nervously.

The room was shrouded in anxious silence.

"Um..."

Arthur began to feel impatient. "You are the son of a Dragon Lord, and are one yourself...so you claim. Merlin...is there still a dragon?"

Before Merlin could respond, Mickey shouted, "It worked!...What the hell is a 'Furling?'"

"Alien race." Gwaine answered, "They've been extinct for a long time."

"Well, I don't know about extinct, but there certainly aren't any who are known to be in this galaxy." Leon offered. When Gwaine's eyebrow rose in curiosity, he explained more. "I've spent time with the Asgard. Around the beginning of the Alliance of the Four, Furlings were included among them."

"Yeah. Ancients, Asgard, Nox, and Furlings. Humans, or Tau'ri...as the rest of the galaxy knows us by...are supposed to be 'The Fifth Race.'"

"We know the Alterans reached a form of Ascension, and became known as the Ancients. I never thought to ask about any of the other races, although I knew the Nox's teachings had something to do with the druids of this land."

"We've had dealings with the Nox...nice people...a little leafy. No one has any idea what the Furlings look like, but a few of the people back at the SGC think they must have been furry...kind of like the Ewoks in Star Wars. FUR-ling." [12]

"Cute!" Jack commented sarcastically. "I'm guessing pretty deadly too, as that seems to be the norm for that type."

"It's true. The cuter they are, the nastier they seem to behave." Gwen said, with a chuckle.

Merlin let out with a raucous laugh that started the group. "Martha, do you remember that daily quote, email site thing you signed me up for a while back? One of the first ones they sent me, reminded me of when I called Aithusa from the egg."

She nodded, trying to follow the different lines of conversation erupting. "I think so, love. You seem to enjoy those sort of things."

Deadly serious blue eyes fell on the warlock, and he shifted under the gaze of his king. "Merlin...are there any dragons left?" His voice carried through the din, and a hush fell over them all. Those who hadn't known Arthur during the height of his reign, felt his kingly presence fill the room. They began to truly grasp why he was a legend.

"Honestly...I don't know."

"How could you not know?" His voice dripped with disbelief.

Martha moved to stand beside her husband. She took his hand and threaded her fingers through his. "I think it's time I get to hear that story you keep avoiding."

He leaned down and kissed her cheek, thankful as always for her calm strength. "Perhaps it is..."

"What the...You sly dog!" Jack's voice called out from where he stood, near the fireplace mantle. He turned towards Merlin with an arrogant smirk, while picking up a hinged shadow box. It held a red and white ribbon, with a blue and gold four-point star below it. Next to that on the box, was a larger silver star with the same gold center. Below that, was a small rectangular ribbon of purple, with a red stripe running vertically through the center. On the other side of the hinge, was an embossed certificate.

Merlin cringed, as Jack began reading the highlights of the certificate out loud. "Sir Merlin Emrys, Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire."

"Something you neglected to tell me, Merlin?" Arthur asked. His arms were crossed and the look on his face reminded the warlock of the familiar feeling...just prior to finding himself either mucking out the stables, or thrown in the stocks.

"Uh...Oops?"

* * *

_**AN:** First- huge thanks to Nance and IcarusLSU as always! You guys are amazing for what you do to help me and my writing!_

_Next chapter might not be out until next weekend. It's proving a little tricky to write._

_ I originally balked against the idea of using the Furling race mentioned in Stargate, because of the implications in the show about them being furry (_fur-ling_) but then as the story progressed I came across something talking about sails being stowed...I began looking at the word in a different manner '_furl-ing_' and finally did a face palm._

**furl** fərl/ verb

_roll or fold up and secure neatly (a flag, sail, umbrella, or other piece of fabric)._

_"he shouted to the crew to furl sails"_

**Footnotes:**_(yes there were quite a few in this chapter. With so many people and so much going on, I didn't want to disrupt the flow by adding in every detail of each. So here are the references to them.)_

1. Merlin episode 1x1 The same actress, Eve Miles, who played Lady Helen plays Gwen in Torchwood.

2. Eve played the character Gwyneth in the Doctor Who episode (The Unquiet Dead)... And played Gwen in Journey's End. A joke was made by the Doctor and Rose on how Gwen of Torchwood resembled someone they knew in the 19th century.

3. HoC Chat inspired LOL and I just had to add in the idea of the knights playing paintball...I know some of you wanted a whole, half-naked sparing session, but this seemed like so much more fun and gave them a chance to bond.

4. Paraphrased translation from the Bhagavad Gita on reincarnation

5. Reference to Doctor Who Episode 2x3 'School Reunion' Although neither Jack nor Martha were in that, I figured they probably heard stories about it. (an ep guest starring Anthony Head)

6. Doctor Who ep 'The Parting of Ways'

7. Torchwood Ep Reference 1x12 'Captain Jack Harkness'

8. Based on an interesting quote from one of the Torchwood writers, John Fay, on Jack's immortality: "In my mind, I was always aware that Jack had gone through this situation many times before, and that was really interesting to me. How do you have a relationship and fall in love with someone when you know - absolutely know - you will be around to see them die?"

9. Yes, a bit of Monty Python slipping in.

10. Ref to Merlin ep 'Goblin's Gold'

11. Another Torchwood episode reference. 'Small Worlds'

12. Stargate episode 'Wormhole X-treme' reference.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

Guest: Thanks! I'm glad you did.

GoldenFishFire: OMG you made my day! I was smiling so much from your review.

CarolynneRuth: Hopefully you enjoyed this latest chapter just as much!

IcarusLSU: Thanks! Glad they are believable, I base their relationship on some of our chat banter hehe

AWanderersHaven: Yes they are, and yes it will. Won't be any major action for a while yet, but the plot is certainly going to pick up the pace from here.

LinBates: Well you can breath easy now...at least until the next chapter.

_Thank you and welcome to all the new followers and especially to those who have added this to their favorites. Even if you don't review, seeing that you like it enough to add it makes me giddy! Please take the chance to leave a review if you would be so kind, they really help feed my creativity._


	32. Part 3: Chapter 9

_**Well, here it is on Saturday...just like I promised! Thank you all for the reviews and favs/follows!**_

_**A lot of historical research went into this chapter, so I hope it pays off with filling in a bit more recent Merlin history.**_

_**Huge round of applause for Nance! She is the best beta I could ever ask for. And for IcarusLSU, even if he was a bit tipsy while trying to flow read LOL**_

_**Review response:**_

_Flamie: Thanks! Half the fun in writing this is fitting everything together :)_

_Paradox Predator: The footnotes for 31 should be fixed. Thanks for pointing it out!_

_Leah0812: I get just as excited seeing the reviews!_

_Nance: I wouldn't be the writer I am, without your help. As for Jack's real name...no one knows it._

_CarolynneRuth: Thanks! This chapter might answer some things, or might create more questions. hehehe_

_IcarusLSU: Thanks, there will probably be more tension in the future, but for now...things are being set aside._

_Tholey: Naw Perce is still a Knight of Camelot, despite his new friends hehe. The clues are going to start coming together soon._

_Fai's smile: I can't stop the Monty Python bits from coming through...it's a weakness of mine hehe. Torchwood is a great show...I will warn you though, it gets rather dark and angsty._

_ANYHOO...Thanks again, everyone. Your reviews make me smile! Now, on with the fic!_

* * *

Dark stained, wooden bookshelves lined every wall, except the one covered with glass panes on the north. This allowed for natural light to filter into the room during the day, without the problematic direct sunlight that could ruin the books. Although wanting to hear about dragons, Jack's observation of the decorations on Merlin's mantle had successfully sidetracked Arthur's thoughts. He had demanded to know more about the man he had just knighted...even if the ceremony had been abrupt, and didn't involve the complete recitation of vows to the king.

Merlin had sighed and began with that tale instead, privately thankful that he could avoid the heartache of bringing up the little dragon for at least a few more hours.

It wasn't long after the end of World War II, when Merlin received an invitation to dine with the king. He had thought seriously about declining, but he was a bit arrogant about his ability to be able to fool people into thinking he was the son of the man from the first war. King George VI wasn't so easily fooled...especially since he had served alongside Merlin, during the merger of the Royal Navy Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps into what became the Royal Air Force in 1918. Afterwards, they had seen each other on occasion as Merlin took up work designing and building aircraft, eventually going into ownership of the factory as well.

That was, until the late 1930's. With a new war on the horizon, Merlin faked his death. He had aged himself since the late 19th century and had appeared to be in his late fifties. No one questioned when his son, a gangly young man of eighteen appeared for the funeral. The boy's mother was a French National, and old Merlin said he had met her during his service, while stationed in France. Reluctant to leave her family, they never married, but Merlin had been sending money to support his estranged girlfriend and her child, and occasionally went to visit.

The 'son' was brought into the folds of his father's business and adapted to it quickly, before he decided to follow in his father's footsteps and joined the RAF at the start of war with Nazi Germany.

The king had laughed as they enjoyed an after dinner port together, celebrating the end to the war and younger Merlin's plans for his father's factory. Bertie, as he was known among those who knew the king before he inherited the throne, turned to Merlin, and accused the 'twenty-eight-year-old', of lying.

Merlin nearly choked on his port, as the king began to list off various points of Merlin's past.

In 1879, after an incident at Torchwood Manor involving alien DNA and werewolves, Queen Victoria had established the Torchwood Institute as a way to study and keep tabs on oddities...mostly The Doctor.[1] As their mission broadened, it started to include more anomalies found in and about the U.K. Somewhere along the way, Merlin had come into their sights, and a file had been started on the man who kept reappearing in history, from time to time.

It wasn't until Bertie had met the young son of the man he had known during a tour of the Royal Forces, that the king suspected anything. After a bit of badgering, Merlin finally gave in. He told King George VI who he really was.

They met many times after that, when scheduling would permit. Merlin recounted to the king, and his daughter, who was brought in on the secret, stories from his life. In 1948, Merlin knelt in front of the king and was granted the honors of knighthood. Although...as Merlin pointed out to his friends...the knights of the twentieth century held little resemblance to those of the sixth.

The decorations on the mantle, and the honor of adding the letters 'KBE' to the end of his name, were pretty much all it entailed.

"Originally, I could go to more Stately dinners and the meetings and such...but those got boring after a while, and I got tired of aging myself." He groaned as a thought occurred to him. "I am probably going to have to call Lilibet at some point about all of this."

"Lilibet?" Jack questioned with unconcealed surprise. "You're on a nickname basis with Her Majesty?"

A crooked smile, filled with feigned innocence, contorted Merlin's face as he turned to Jack and asked in a simple, and humble tone. "Yes...aren't you?"

The leader of Torchwood snickered and held out his hand. He was amazed to finally learn so much about the man, and he hoped now that the warlock had been able to voice his irritation about Jack out loud, they could begin to work past it. "You are too much, Merlin! As much as we would like to stay and hear more stories, I promised Rhys I would have Gwen home before she turns into a pumpkin." His smile widened when Merlin, after seeing his wife's look, accepted his handshake.

Everyone shared a warm farewell, as three of the five members of Torchwood Three headed outside and began the drive back towards Cardiff.

Mickey had moved from the chair he was on with the laptop, over to the ornate desk with Merlin's main computer. He explained briefly, that although the translation program was running, it needed the higher computing power to smooth out some of the finer details. Everyone else began settling in as well.

Coming back in, Merlin moved to a stack of shelves along the far wall. A wood and lead box resting on one of the highest shelves, slid off and floated down into his waiting hand. Coming back to the center of the room, Merlin sat next to Martha on the main settee that was directly across was the fireplace. With a whispered word from the warlock, the fireplace roared to life.

Merlin's impish grin was contagious. The glow from his eyes appeared to linger, as the flames reflected in his blue orbs. An expectant hush settled over the remaining people in the library of the manor. He sat the box on his knee and again, seemingly without hesitation or worry, used his magic in front of them all.

Guinevere and Leon didn't appear to even bat an eye. The years they had spent with Merlin, after Camlann, had allowed them to become familiar with Merlin's magic. Gwaine stretched out on the floor and smirked, enjoying the spectacle, while Mickey and Percival...used to weirdness from working with Torchwood...nodded in appreciation. Martha smiled. She had known of his magic, and seen him use it...although never quite so effortlessly as he did now. Whether it was because of the sword, the friends, or something else, she didn't know. It gave her a sense of peace though, to see his worries from the night before, put to rest.

Arthur stood nearby and watched his friend with a mixture of fascination and fear. He kept his lips sealed tightly, and tried to be patient and observe. He was still unused to the casual way in which Merlin used magic, and waited to see if he would waiver.

The box glowed with an aura of golden dust and the latch unlocked with a click. Merlin's face fell when he saw the item inside. A flood of memories assailed him. Carefully, he plucked the item from the box and held it up.

Arthur's eyes widened and Guinevere gasped, "Morgana's bracelet..."

Merlin nodded, setting the box aside. He fingered the silver and gold cuff. "It was one hundred years exactly, after I laid you, Arthur, to rest in the boat, and sent your body to Avalon." He told Arthur. "The last time I summoned Aithusa, and one of the darkest times I had ever known...even worse than when I thought you died..."

"Why is that?" Gwaine asked with interest. While he didn't wish make his friend relive the emotions of the past, he wanted to know more about the man and what he had been through.

"I'd already lost Mithian...about fifty years earlier...Gawain fell in battle a few years before his mother died...with no child of his own left behind. Blasine was gone...Her children grown, and their children...I allowed myself to be hopeful that Arthur would return, but the way the world had begun to change around me...it frightened me. If you were to have returned then...what would there be left for you?" Crystal blue eyes darkened into midnight pools, clouded with history.

"By the time night fell, and the moon began to rise, I summoned Aithusa...the white dragon. Nearly all creatures of magic, by then, had either died or..." He shrugged, not knowing how to explain how or why the magic disappeared. "Within the first five years of his life...I had summoned him only twice, and sent him away three times...I was rather uneducated in how it was all supposed to work, and the only advice I received from Kilgharrah was to let Aithusa grow and experience things on his own.

"Aithusa wanted nothing to do with me, though, because I was responsible for Morgana's death. I had tried to make amends...tried to heal him over the passing years, but my normal magic didn't work on dragons. I never understood why...

"He still refused to speak to me, and I didn't wish to command him to, but I had a feeling that night...I would never see him again."

The only sound in the room was the crackle of the fire in the hearth. Each man and woman focused on their own internal thoughts.

Finally, Merlin seemed to gather his thoughts together and spoke again. "A few days later, I decided enough was enough. I went to find his cave, but Aithusa was gone. The only thing of value left, was this." He said, holding up the bracelet.

"Morgana loved her...I remember that, now..." Guinevere stated in a soft voice.

"Him." Merlin corrected.

"No...her."

"When Aithusa was hatched, Kilgharrah said I named HIM after the Light of the Sun, in the Dragon Tongue."

Guinevere smiled patronizingly, "I distinctly remember Morgana referring to the dragon as a 'her.'"

"Well, did you or Morgana ever actually look under the tail to find out?" He asked sarcastically.

Shooting back, with an equal amount of snark, Guinevere asked, "Did you?"

Mickey snickered from the desk. "You're both wrong...and right. Dragons are hermaphroditic."

"How the hell do you know?" Arthur questioned, amused by the young man's timing.

"...Because it says so. Right here." The dark-skinned man pointed to the computer screen, with a triumphant smile.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Merlin shifted restlessly in the bed, trying to be careful to not wake his wife. His mind was reeling with all the information that had come through. Mickey's program was doing its job. However, for the amount of information contained in the file, he admitted he would like to set up a larger computer, and even with that, it could still take a while to decrypt all of it. Once Merlin had gotten over the shock that he may finally learn about his heritage as a Dragon Lord, the conversation had moved on. That Mickey had found that one translation so quickly during the debate over Aithusa's gender, had been a fluke.

Leon had explained about the Cup of Life and what Heimdall had told him of it being an alien technology. Merlin stored the information away in his mind for later, and listened as both Leon and Gwaine began describing more about the Ori and their Priors. The Virus now had a cure, but that didn't mean the Priors were out of the fight...not by a long shot.

_"Their staves are rather intriguing." Leon said at one point. "I could swear I'd seen something similar, somewhere before..." The knight began describing the dark wood, with the odd blue stone set at the top._

_Something inside of Merlin's memory had given a tickle to his subconscious. He had quickly dismissed it at the time. He began flipping through the Book of Origin that the two men had brought with them, hoping something in it would help draw the memory forward, but he found his concentration lapsing._

_When they all finally had decided to turn in for the night, about the only thing that had been decided, was to help Gwaine with his grandfather's funeral...the rest could be left until after that._

A warm presence pressed against the skin on his back, and a shapely arm wrapped around his chest...fingers tracing across the muscles of his abdomen. He felt the trail of kisses across his shoulder blades and turned his face to meet his wife's lips. He lifted his arm, and invited her into his embrace.

Martha snuggled down into her husband's arms, her face resting in the hollow of his shoulder. "You are thinking too loud, my love."

Merlin chuckled apologetically. He nuzzled against the top of her head, pulling her closer to him. He inhaled deeply the smell of her hair, enjoying the scent of the flowery essence left behind by her shampoo.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you so alive, as just after you touched the sword. I've watched you use magic, and lately I've been a bit concerned with how you were handling it. Then, after that, it was like it was as natural as breathing for you." She turned her face towards his, resting her chin on his chest. "Did it work?"

"Did what work?" He asked, meeting her eyes.

"Did whatever magic was on there, heal the hole inside that you've been worried about?"

"No..." He finally confessed. Inside, he felt the emptiness that had plagued him for centuries still there. "Something in the sword, was like...a drug, almost. It gave me a rush, and halted the pain, but I can already feel it beginning to wane." Merlin smiled and recalled the sensation of his hand touching the hilt. "It didn't seem to start growing to a consciously noticeable level until recently. I thought when Arthur returned it would heal...but that is when I began to feel it more..."

"That was also around the time these Priors began showing up in the galaxy...Could it also have something to do with that other sword piece, the one that nearly killed Arthur?"

Raising his eyebrows, Merlin focused on the ceiling above him. He thought about both things she mentioned. The Priors and the Sword..."Why would you think one has to do with the other?"

"I've seen enough of how time and the universe works, to know that there is very little that is actual coincidence."

"Even us?"

"Would it bother you if it wasn't?"

"No...no. You are probably the most amazing person destiny has ever brought into my life." He admitted. After a pause, he asked, "What would you think...if I could find a way to keep you with me?"

She sat up to look him square in the eyes. "What do you mean?"

He squirmed under her gaze. "Nothing...forget about it."

"No...You don't just get to say something like that, then tell me to forget about it."

He pursed his lips, wondering if he should tell her one of the things that had been on his mind all night. "I love you." He looked deep into her eyes as he said the words, trying to convey just how much she really meant to him. "I loved Mithian with all my heart, as I did Ning...and many others through the years. You are the first one though, who truly gets me. I can't explain how amazing you are to me, Martha...and even though I try my damnedest not to think about the future...I still do. I don't know what is going to happen to me when I lose you."

"That's still a ways off though, right?" She said, her voice shaking. "Merlin...what's wrong? I've never heard you speak quite like this."

Sighing, he shook his head. "What Leon said...about the properties of the Cup, and what it can do..."

Martha gasped. The look he saw on her face told him that she had put the pieces together. Although she meant it as a question, what she said came out as a statement. "You know where the Cup of Life is."

The crooked, and less than innocent, upturn of his lips confirmed her suspicions. "Isn't there supposed to be a price for using it?"

Merlin shrugged, "Perhaps, but maybe that was the way it was used. I really don't know." He took a deep breath and asked her sincerely. "Think about it, though...please."

**(*~*~*~*)**

A call from Laney had Gwaine hitching a ride with Leon back to the States the next day. His grandfather's body was being released for burial. Merlin put in a call to a friend, and by that evening, Percival was standing at the bottom of a narrow set of stairs, looking upwards into an oval-shaped hole on the side of an aircraft.

Mickey was staying behind to work on the computer thing. Gwen and her son had already climbed onboard the metal monstrosity with Martha. Cassie was also riding with them back to her home in Colorado. Merlin had been bouncing in and out of the thing, checking to make sure it was ready. That left just him and Arthur, staring up at the unnatural beast.

Clearing his throat, Arthur patted Percival's shoulder. "We should probably go in there."

"Of course, Sire. After you..."

"No...that's quite alright. You can go first."

Percival's face was white as a sheet. He didn't want to argue with his king, but he also did not want to be confined in something so frightening.

Merlin popped his head out of the door. "Oy! Will you two just get your arses in here?! We've got about seven hours over the Atlantic, then another four 'til we reach Colorado. I would like to get in the air as soon as possible."

"How can you be so sure this thing is safe, Merlin?" Arthur asked, trying to maintain an authoritative tone.

Peeling the sunglasses off his face, Merlin made a smacking sound with his lips. "Probably because I've designed more than a few of these during my time, and also I was flying before most anyone else on this planet...granted, it was only a few times on the back of a dragon...but that's besides the point. I understand how the science behind this all works. Now, will you both just get in here? Gwaine is waiting for us."

The two sixth century warriors looked at each other, holding their breaths. Percival finally released his with a defeated sigh. He placed his feet, one in front of the other, and cautiously made his way up the steps. He sensed Arthur behind him, but resolved to himself to not look back. He had faced many things in this new world, and came out just fine. He knew he was able to do this.

The inside was roomier than he had expected, although he did have to duck slightly to avoid hitting the ceiling. Merlin called this vehicle a Gulfstream, although the name meant little to him. He took a seat near Martha, while Arthur sat across from him, next to his wife.

They watched as Merlin sealed and locked the door. He appeared so at home surrounded by the streamlined aircraft. The warlock came over and squeezed his friend's shoulder. "It really will be just fine, Percival. I'm a pretty good pilot." His calm and self-assured presence helped the large knight to feel a little more at ease.

Martha grinned, "He is definitely much better at flying, than he is at driving."

Percival chuckled at the outrageous look on Merlin's face. "Buckle in. I'll get us in the air soon. Hey Arthur, want to join me in the cockpit?"

Blue eyes widened; Arthur looked nervously at the others.

"I would invite Percival, but I'm not sure..."

"I would love to join you, Merlin." Guinevere said suddenly. Aurie was already buckled into a travel seat, and was sound asleep. "Martha...would you mind watching him?"

"Not at all."

Arthur sputtered and started to argue, and much to his dismay, was completely ignored as his best friend escorted Guinevere forward to the cockpit.

**(*~*~*~*)**

Guinevere strapped in with Merlin's help, and sat up straight in the seat. She was careful not to tap the floor pedals with her feet, nor touch anything around her. Her hands stayed folded neatly in her lap. Merlin sat next to her, securing himself and placing large cup-like things over his ears. A thin, bendable, tube-like, length of metal came down in front of his mouth. He pointed to her right elbow and she saw a similar contraption. Fitting the thick strap over her head, she was a bit startled when she heard Merlin's voice through the headset.

"You get a front row seat here. Once the guys figure it out, they might get a bit jealous. I think you're going to love it, though."

She smiled, and took a pair of sunglasses, when he offered them.

"We're going to be seeing the sunset from the air, so you might need those."

In between each sentence, it felt like a vacuum over her ears, when all sound suddenly ceased.

"I'm going to start it up, and talk to the Control Tower to get us airborne."

She nodded and watched him skillfully flip various switches, and push colorful buttons. It was truly amazing how simple he managed to make his movements seem. He flicked another switch and began speaking to an unseen man. Most of his words sounded like some odd sort of language. She felt her heart stop with the initial whine of the engines firing up. Her stomach lurched a little, when the whole world outside the window began to move...It took her a moment to realize she was the one moving.

Merlin glanced over at her and pushed a button. "Are you ok? Not going to get sick on me or anything, are you?"

The former queen swallowed down her fear and shook her head. She was determined to enjoy this opportunity. "I will be fine."

He switched back to speaking with the disembodied voice. The airplane turned and faced down a long stretch of tarmac. Merlin sent another look over at Gwen, who smiled and took a deep breath. She watched the world beginning to rush by. Faster and faster...she felt gravity pressing her back into her seat. She had a fleeting thought, wondering how her son was faring, but then decided that Aurie was more than likely still asleep. Her husband, on the other hand...Well, she hoped Martha and Cassie were able to manage.

A soft scream of excitement erupted, as the plane lifted off the ground and began its ascent toward the clouds. She squealed again, when they punched through the cloud. It was almost like going through a thick fog bank...except, instead of contrasting shadows from trees or buildings, it was accented by brief pockets of light and of blue sky.

Levelling out after a while, she looked out the window below to a white ground, that resembled the softest snow she could have ever imagined. Ahead and all around was clear, blue sky.

"That will never get old." Merlin chuckled, sitting back and unbuckling his harness.

Gwen was left in breathless agreement. "I can see why you like it."

"Shall we go back and check on the others?"

Shaking her head, Gwen was still watching the clouds in complete fascination. After a few moments, she asked, "Can they hear us?"

"Nope. It's just you and me up here. Why? Are you planning to take advantage of me?...Because I don't think my wife would like that very much." He winked at his friend.

She laughed, "No. Actually, I was hoping to speak with you."

He waited for her to continue.

"It's about the swords." She started absentmindedly playing with her harness strap. "Arthur told me about how you made his out of the one I gave you."

"Ah...yeah, about that..."

"Merlin, it's alright. I'm not upset or anything, but I did wonder...and I haven't mentioned this to him...about the other one. I remember when I was on the island, and the man was taking Aurie and myself to his workroom...I think I saw it on his table. I remember wondering why he would have it."

"Martha's right...there are too many damn coincidences...and not a single one of them makes any sense."

She reached across the center console, in the tight space of the cockpit, and took his hand. "Anything I can do to help, you know I will, Merlin. We all will. I know you believe that we are here for Arthur, but you're wrong. After all I have seen and heard...I think we're here for _you_."

* * *

[1] Doctor Who episode 2x2 "Tooth and Claw"


End file.
